3 months ago
2
Describing privatisation of territory hospitals nether public-private concern (PPP) exemplary arsenic a “very delicate issue”, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao connected Tuesday said helium could not committedness a broad halt to each specified ventures, adjacent arsenic helium acknowledged protests against privatisation successful parts of the State.
“Due to agelong struggles and protests, the Chief Minister has already decided connected the Vijayapura PPP issue. However, these decisions are not solely successful my hands, and I cannot committedness a broad halt to each PPP ventures,” helium said astatine the valedictory gathering of the Right to Health (RTH) jatha successful the city.
The jatha, organised crossed the State from February 2 to 17 by the Drug Action Forum - Karnataka (DAF-K) and Sarvatrika Arogya Andolana - Karnataka (SAA-K), on with astir 40 spouse organisations, concluded with a nationalist gathering attended by wellness activists, workers’ unions, community-based organisations and territory delegations.
Memorandum
A memorandum submitted to the Minister sought withdrawal of the privatisation of territory hospitals nether PPP models, enactment of a broad Right to Health Act successful Karnataka, and assurance of escaped and prime medicines successful each authorities hospitals.
Bogesh Sollapura from Vijayapura referred to a 106-day agitation against the projected privatisation of the Government Medical College hospital. “The Chief Minister’s involution to halt it gave radical anticipation that nationalist hospitals indispensable stay accessible to the poor,” helium said, urging the authorities to wantonness PPP models crossed districts.
Karibasappa, a grassroots worker, said PPP-based privatisation of 8 territory hospitals had accrued costs and reduced entree for susceptible communities babelike connected nationalist institutions.
Right to Health Act
On the projected legislation, Mr. Rao said the authorities completed the groundwork. “We person completed each the inheritance enactment to bring successful the Right to Health Act and soon we are going to taxable it to the Chief Minister,” helium said.
He addressed concerns implicit medicine shortage. “We person purchased the medicines, and the process is being streamlined. All authorities hospitals volition person capable supplies shortly, and a mean proviso of escaped medicines volition beryllium ensured wrong 2 months,” helium said.
Participants cited a 2024 survey crossed 12 districts, which recovered patients collectively spent implicit ₹4 lakh connected medicines, pointing to gaps successful the nationalist proviso system. Sayyed Ishmail of the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) said that implicit 60% of attraction expenditure was connected medicines.
Gopal Dabade, ENT surgeon and president of DAF-K and Prasanna Saligram, nationalist wellness researcher and SAA-K subordinate said the mobilisation crossed 31 districts had strengthened nationalist dialog connected wellness arsenic a cardinal close and expressed anticipation for time-bound enactment by the government.
