BENGALURU: Ahead of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s meeting with Bengaluru MLAs of all parties on Friday, the opposition Congress has urged the state government to provide free treatment to all Covid-19 patients.
People are not responsible for spreading the pandemic and they should not be punished by making them pay for the treatment, state Congress unit president D K Shivakumar told reporters here on Thursday. “People are already facing hardship and it will be very difficult for them to pay for treatment,” he said and questioned the reason for fixing rates for treatment when there are government schemes on free health services to all.
He said the government must make use of the CM’s Relief Fund and the PM Care to provide treatment to all for free in government as well as private hospitals and without any differentiation between rich and poor. “It is not right to reserve Kumara Krupa Guest House (in Bengaluru) to provide treatment only for elected representatives and senior officials,” he said adding that the government must treat all equally, and common people too must get similar facilities and treatment.
PROTEST ON MONDAY
Shivakumar said it has become inevitable for the party to hit the streets to protest against the government as the compensation announced to help those hit by the lockdown has not reached people. The party will stage a protest on Monday by following all guidelines on Covid-19, he said. On Friday, the party leaders will pay tribute to 20 Indian soldiers, who were martyred during the India-China face-off.