Strengthen government hospitals, demands DYFI

Urging the government to stregthen government hospitals in the State, the members of DYFI staged a protest in front of the DC’s office in Mangalore on Wednesday. 

Addressing the protesters, Federation of Indian Rationalist Association (FIRA) President Narendra Nayak said that there is a need to fight against privatisation of government hospitals. “The successive governments are puppets in the hands of private hospitals and have failed to improve the condition in government hospitals.” 

There is a need to upgrade district Goverment Wenlock Hospital to provide good health care facilities to the poor.  DYFI State President Muneer Katipalla said “the government was pliant towards medical education mafia.”

Alleging that the government is moving away from its responsibility towards the poor, he pointed out that health care was a service sector and a core responsibility of the government.

Code of Medical Ethics Regulations directs all physicians to clearly display his /her fees and other charges on the board of his clinic. However, the rules are violated by the medical practitioners in the district. Uniform fee should be introduced in the district, he said. 

“There are no enough primary health centres to provide health care facilities as per the pouplation of the state. Even the district Wenlock hospital lacks basic facilities. There is shortage staff including doctors and D group employees in government hospitals in the district. About 45 per cent of the vacancies in the health sector is lying vacant in the district. Without the facilities in government hospitals, the poor are forced to undergo treatment at private hospitals. Super speciality treatment is a mirage for the poor in government hospitals,” Katipalla said. 

The protesters alleged that many government hospitals remain in poor condition without infrastructure. 

“Rules should be amended to make the treatment cost in private hospitals uniform. The health sector has been converted into a profit making industry. The government has commercialised medical care. No private hospitals in the city display the cost of various treatments.”

“There are instances of private hospitals failng to release dead bodies before settling payments. The district administration should take measures to prevent such inhuman practices by the private hospitals,” he said.