Karnataka - Mangalore   

Protest against move to collect fees

Staff Correspondent

Free treatment sought for the poor at Wenlock Hospital

OPPOSITION: Protesters demonstrating in front of the District Government Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore on Monday.

MANGALORE: Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Akhila Bharata Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane (ABJMS) on Monday staged a protest against the State Government's move to collect fees from patients at the District Government Wenlock Hospital here. They demanded that the Government withdraw the order.

Hemalatha, district president of the ABJMS, said the hospital, with a history of over 150 years, had been providing free treatment to people, especially to the poor.

Stating that it was the intention of the Karnataka Development Front Government to privatise the hospital, she said the "mask of development" put up by the Government was gradually slipping away.

It was unfortunate that money was the criterion for those seeking "affordable" healthcare, she said.

Ms. Hemalatha accused local MLA N. Yogish Bhat of neglecting the cause of patients from the economically weaker sections.

Muneer Katipalla, president of the district unit of the DYFI, said the organisations would take up an agitation in a phased manner to ensure that poor patients received free treatment at the hospital.

Vasanth Achary, president of the district unit of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions was present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Work on pipeline delays highway project
Corporation gets serious about malaria control
Navy ships to dock today
Protest against move to collect fees
Awareness campaign
Farangipet blast case: three held
Shetty murder case: one more arrested
Janardhan Prabhu dead
In Mangalore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu