Communist Party of India (Marxist) has threatened to intensity its protest if the State government goes ahead with allowing private medical colleges to offer health services from government healthcare centres.

The CPI(M) activists took part in a protest march on Thursday (May 14, 2026) from Ambedkar Circle to Clock Tower Circle. The protest follows the government signing a MoU with Yenepoya Medical College, A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Alvas Health Centre to offer health services at Vitla Community Health Centre (CHC), Bantwal Taluk Hospital and Moodbidri CHC.

The government was slated to shortly sign MoU with Alvas Health Centre to allow it to offer services at the Belthangady Taluk Hospital. The government has called upon private medical colleges across the State to offer health services at the nearest government healthcare centres.

Commercialisation of health services

Addressing the protestors at the Clock Tower Circle, CPI(M) Dakshina Kannada district Secretary Muneer Katipalla said allowing private medical colleges to work from government healthcare centres was nothing but a commercialisation of services. Criticising Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Mr. Katipalla accused the Minister of doing the greatest disservice to Dakshina Kannada residents with this move.

“If you do not rescind the order, we will intensify our protest. We will resort to black flag demonstrations at places you visit (in Dakshina Kannada), organise sit-in protests, and form human chains around government healthcare centres,” Mr. Katipalla said.

There were nine private medical college and hospitals in Dakshina Kannada with four more set to start shortly. If the government goes ahead with setting up a Government Medical College in Puttur under Public-Private-Partnership, then that college too will be another private entity, he said. These private medical colleges have drastically hiked treatment cost and people were finding it hard to meet it, Mr. Katipalla added.

CPI(M) District Secretariat Member Sunil Kumar Bajal said the CPI(M) has been opposing privatisation of health sector for long. The Central and the State Government do not want to spend on health and education sectors. Just like the party opposed the privatisation of water supply services in Dakshina Kannada, the CPI(M) will fight tooth and nail to not allow private medical colleges to operate from government healthcare centres, he said.

CPI(M) District Secretariat members Yadava Shetty, B.M. Bhat, Vasanth Achari and Jayanti B. Shetty took part in the protest march.