Report and Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)
 
Udupi, Oct 16: The district units of DYFI and SFI staged a protest in front of the office of the deputy commissioner of the district here on Friday October 16 morning, against the proposed privatization of Dakshina Kannada district Wenlock Hospital, Mangalore and also the collection of charges by the hospital administration for all those patients who do not hold the below poverty line (BPL) ration cards, for the health care services rendered to them. 

The state administration circular had directed the Wenlock Hospital administration that it should provide free medical services to only those patients who hail from the BPL families. The poorest of the poor, who do not hold any BPL cards, owing to the discrepancies in the system of issuing the ration cards, are deprived of free health care services at the district Wenlock Hospital as of now.  The privatization of health care services and charging the poor  for the facilities provided to them, has become a burden for the poor people, said the protestors. 
 
The hospital administration has already handed over the blood bank and postmortem departments to private health care institutions, creating great hardships to the poor people, they contended.  Both the DYFI and SFI urged the state administration, to discontinue the practice of collecting charges for the health care services at DK district Wenlock Hospital and also to stall the privatization process of health care services.
 
DYFI district convener Suresh Kallega, secretary Raviraj Padukone, Rajesh Vaderahobli, Harsha, district SFI president Kaviraj, Subramanya Padukone, Veena Shetty, Madhavi and others were present on the occasion.