Bengaluru: As many as 35 organisations in Karnataka are organising a ‘Jatha for Right to Health’ across 31 districts from Feb 2 to 17, protesting high charges in private hospitals and lack of access to free medicines in govt healthcare facilities.Private hospitals in Karnataka charge exorbitant amounts for consultation, diagnostic tests and treatment, pushing people who are not covered under insurance to poverty, said Dr Gopal Dabade, president of Drug Action Forum Karnataka and a retired ENT surgeon formerly with a medical college in Dharwad, adding: “In big cities like Bengaluru, consultation charges of Rs 1,000 and upwards are common in private hospitals. Even in remote parts of the state, patients are charged Rs 300-400 for consultation.” Healthcare activists said privatization of district hospitals could jeopardize the state’s healthcare system. “We are witnessing a disturbing degradation of our public health system. Shortage of staff and drugs is a major concern. Patients are shunted from one hospital to another for accessing basic care, and forced to pay out of their pocket for everything. Amid all these, govt wants to hand over the responsibility of health to private players. We want everyone in Karnataka to be able to access healthcare without worrying about cost,” said Dr Akshay S Dinesh, public health activist and co-founder, Action for Equity.The rally starts in Vijayapura on Feb 2 and will end in Bengaluru on Feb 27.
