Udupi: The ‘Nagarikara Okkoota, Udupi’ along with other associations held a protest rally on Friday, 6th January, 2017 against the privatization of Udupi District Maternity and Children’s Hospital situated in the heart of Udupi city.
The protest rally was inaugurated by Meenakshi Bhandary at Jodukatte, near Big Bazar and it went on to Chittaranjan Circle. The protest culminated in Chittaranjan Circle and a meeting was organized where Paniraj, a Social activist gave the keynote address.
Late Haji Abdulla, the donor of the land on which this hospital in Udupi is built, gave the land only for the purpose of building a Maternity and Children Hospital in the year 1929. During the Independence of India, the Haji Abdulla memorial hospital with the management of Madras Government was running smoothly till now. At present around 3000 patients visit the hospital every month and get free treatment.
In the year 1929, it was mentioned by Haji Abdulla that the hospital was not to be sold or management changed without any reason. But the present government looking for the privatization of the smooth running hospital, wants to give it to a private entrepreneur. The mortality rate in this hospital is also very less when compared to other hospitals.
Dr. P. V. Bhandary, a Psychiatrist and one of the conveners of the protest said that the government has snatched this hospital from the poor. “It is totally not acceptable that a smooth running hospital should be privatized and deprive the poor people off health care. There is no official document available with regard to the privatization of this hospital and a memorandum of understanding was also not done. Haji Abdulla wanted all poor people to get treatment and he never told that this hospital belongs to only one community. We demand that the agreement be made to public and fix the fee structure like Wenlock Hospital. We do not have objections to the fact that the hospital has been given to Dr. B. R. Shetty. But the hospital be administered by the district surgeon and not by District Commissioner.”
He said that Udupi CMC gave Vishweshwariah Commercial complex to private entrepreneur with the agreement of 200 pages, but the government gave the 600 bed hospital to a private party and the agreement was only 25 pages. “What is the need to hand over this hospital to a private party from poor people? How can one make business without keeping profit by the private?” he questioned.
“Haji Abdulla”, a book written by Murali Upadyaya was released by one of the relative of Haji Abdulla during the protest meeting. Yashin Malpe, Balakrishna Shetty, Akbar Ali, Nithyanand Olakkad, Sundar Master, Sundar Kappettu, members of SDPI and SIO were present during the protest rally.
