Public health activists and civil society organisations in Karnataka, began a statewide Jatha on Monday, February 2, demanding a law that guarantees the right to health. Starting in Vijayapura, the jatha will cover all 31 districts and conclude on February 17 in Bengaluru.
The campaign is being organised by the Drug Action Forum–Karnataka (DAF-K) and the Sarvatrika Arogya Andolana Karnataka (SAA-K), along with trade unions, women’s collectives, and human rights groups from across the state, according to a press release.
A major demand of the jatha is the enactment of a Right to Health legislation in Karnataka, which would make the government legally accountable for ensuring accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all. They pointed out that Rajasthan already has such a law, and that across the world, more than 70 countries recognise health as a legal right.
Another key demand of the campaign is the assured provision of free and good quality medicines in all government health facilities. Organisers note that medicines account for nearly 60–70 per cent of outpatient healthcare expenses in India, pushing many families into financial distress.
A 2023 survey of 600 people in pharmacies in 12 districts in Karnataka, found that patients spent over Rs 2,58,809 on medicines that were meant to be provided free of cost in public hospitals. Patients were spending an average of Rs 433 per visit out-of-pocket to buy medicines, the survey by SAA-K found.
Another major concern raised during the jatha is the high cost of private healthcare. Activists are calling for strict regulation of charges at private hospitals, warning that unregulated fees are forcing families into long-term debt and poverty.
The jatha is also opposing the state government’s proposal to privatise seven district hospitals under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, which campaigners fear will further exclude the poor from essential health services.
The mobilisation comes a year after a similar jatha was organised in 15 districts in February 2025, over the deaths of pregnant women in Ballari, which were linked to allegedly contaminated IV fluid Ringer’s Lactate.
The jatha’s organisers are also demanding an independent inquiry into the women’s deaths, action against those responsible, and compensation for affected families.
The state government had ordered an inquiry by a panel of doctors from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), which ruled out negligence by doctors and raised the possibility that contaminated Ringer’s Lactate, an IV fluid administered during surgery, might be responsible. The Lokayukta also took up an investigation suo motu.
Activists who organised the jatha last year had submitted a memorandum to the state government demanding reforms in the public health system, particularly in drug procurement, quality control, and accountability. The government’s failure to respond prompted the decision to intensify the movement this year by covering the entire state, the press release said.