Mangaluru: The CPM Dakshina Kannada district committee held a protest meeting in front of Mini Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, demanding the withdrawal of the health department's order to hand over four government hospitals in the district to private medical colleges. The party also organized a protest march from Dr BR Ambedkar Circle to Mini Vidhana Soudha.
Protest leadership and allegations
The protest meeting was chaired by CPM state secretary board member K Yadava Shetty. Speaking after inaugurating the meeting, CPM district secretary Muneer Katipalla alleged that Dakshina Kannada has fallen into the clutches of private hospitals and medical college owners. He criticized political leaders and parties for portraying Mangaluru as a healthcare hub while ordinary people continue to struggle with rising medical expenses at private hospitals.
Katipalla stated that handing over government hospitals to "profit seeking private health institutions" would be a complete denial of the right to health for the poor and would open the door for full-scale privatization of public health services. He called the move an "extremely reactionary decision" and warned that if the decision is not withdrawn, the movement will spread across the district. He further threatened that district minister Dinesh Gundu Rao will be waylaid and black flags will be displayed.
Other leaders' reactions
CPM district committee member Sunil Kumar Bajal termed the move "unacceptable." He questioned the BJP's silence on the issue and accused the saffron party of being involved in the alleged agreement. Bajal stated that the CPM will not rest until the order is revoked. He also claimed that both the BJP and Congress work jointly on behalf of owners of private institutions and said the party would expose it.
