Mangalore, October 15: There is a need to stop privatisation of government hospitals in the name of Public Private Partnership (PPP).
The district administration should initiate measures to construct a new building to house Lady Goschen hospital within six months, demanded DYFI district committee President Muneer Katipalla.
Addressing a protest rally held outside the hospital here on Monday, he said that Lady Goshen hospital was a ray of hope for poor women. Pregnant women used to undergo treatment here at free of cost. However, the authorities demolished a portion of the hospital building promising to construct the new building with modern facilities.
“Months have passed after the hospital building was demolished and construction of the new building has not commenced till date. The district administration had announced that a rich businessman from Andhra Pradesh had come forward to construct the new hospital building.
In fact, the foundation stone for modernisation of the hospital was laid on April 16, 2011 by the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the presence of Andhra Pradesh-based philanthropist. However, the work on the building has not commenced.
Recently, the district administration had announced that the MRPL is ready to donate a sum of Rs 20 crore for the new hospital building.”
The authorities who had blindly believed the philanthropist from Andhra Pradesh, demolished a portion of the building. As no alternative arrangements were made before taking up demolition drive, today, neither new building has come up nor are there enough facilities for the poor,” he said.
Today, due to lack of space, only a few pregnant women and patients are being admitted in the hospital. The newly delivered mothers have to sleep on the floor, they do not get hot water for bath. Patients approach private hospitals as they have no option and suffer as they are unable to pay the bills, he said.
The government should not take the issue lightly and construct the new building as soon as possible.
If the government does not construct the building within a span of six months, then the DYFI will gherao people's representatives and show them black flag as a mark of protest, he warned.
DYFI Secretary Dayanand Shetty flayed privatisation in health sector. The government should take care of the health sector as it is a service sector. In case it involves private parties in name of development, the health sector will very soon turn into a business industry, he said.
Earlier, the DYFI members took out a procession march from the Deputy Commissioner's office to Lady Goschen hospital as a mark of protest.
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