Mysuru:  Strongly condemning the introduction of user fee charges at the more than century-old K.R. Hospital in the heart of the city, which is most visited by poor patients for their health needs, BJP MLAs and Corporators, accompanied by several patients, staged a demonstration in the hospital premises here this morning.

City BJP MLAs S.A. Ramdas and L. Nagendra, Corporators Pramila Bharath, Vedavathi, M.U. Subbaiah, Shivakumar, Rangaswamy, Shantamma, Sharadamma, Champaka, Geethashri, Sowmya Umesh, Chayadevi and M.C. Ramesh, leaders Jayaprakash, Devaraj, M.P. Rajesh, V.N. Krishna, Somashekar Raju, Chikkavenkatu and others took part.

Accusing the State Government of silently introducing user fee rule, Ramdas, who is also a former Medical Education Minister, urged the Government to drop the Referral Clause in Ayushmaan Bharat-Arogya Karnataka  Health Scheme. Pointing out that the introduction of the clause in Arogya Karnataka Scheme will be very much disadvantageous to poor patients, he asked the State Government to correct the lacunae and shortcomings in the scheme and thus make the scheme most beneficial for poor patients.

Wondering why the State Government was not distributing Ayushmaan Bharat Health cards which provide free treatment to patients, when other States have already begun distributing them, the MLA maintained that the Government’s action of introducing user fee charges, defeated the very purpose of providing free treatment to the patients at K.R. Hospital, which was built by the erstwhile Mysuru ruler Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

Alleging that patients visiting Nephrology Department of the Hospital were often referred to private hospitals, citing lack of facilities, Ramdas wanted this practise to stop at once and the poor patients given proper medical care at K.R. Hospital itself.

Reiterating the demand for roll back of user fee, Ramdas warned that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will be gheraoed when he visits the city and the District for poll campaign.

He also lashed out at Health Minister Shivananda Patil for doing little for improving the infrastructure at Government Hospitals across the State.

Claiming that the Government had introduced user fee charges for treatment / diagnosis of 720 listed ailments and other health disorders, Ramdas questioned the Health Minister on why he was silent when the Government was out to fleece the poor patients.

Following the demonstration, K.R. Hospital Superintendent Dr. Srinivas visited the protestors and received a memorandum. Dr. Srinivas assured that the user fee charges will be dropped from tomorrow itself, following which the protest was withdrawn.

Even as BJP leaders staged demonstration, many patients who met the agitating leaders, complained to them on corruption, deficiency in health services and other issues concerning K.R. Hospital.