As we have been reporting earlier, the Padgha (Thane District) Committee of Lok Raj Sangathan has been continuously conducting a campaign on the issue of ration. After achieving some success in this, the committee has now decided to take up the issue of lack of facilities in the public hospital as well.
As we have been reporting earlier, the Padgha (Thane District) Committee of Lok Raj Sangathan has been continuously conducting a campaign on the issue of ration. After achieving some success in this, the committee has now decided to take up the issue of lack of facilities in the public hospital as well.
This campaign was launched by distributing more than 3000 leaflets on this issue in Padgha and its neighbouring villages. As a result, a successful demonstration was organised on September 26. In the blazing afternoon sun, when over 200 people – men, women and children – descended on the streets shouting slogans, hundreds of local residents came out expressing their support. “Health is our right and we will win it!”, “Primary health service belongs to the people, not to someone’s baap!”’, “The Primary Health Centres should be open 24 hours!” were some of the slogans, which met with the onlookers’ approval.
The demonstration culminated in front of the public hospital. There was no drinking water to slake the thirst of the people! A delegation was sent to present their demands to the officer-in-charge. He promised them that a bore well would be dug within the next two months. He assured the delegation that the available medicines would be administered properly to the patients. He also promised to forward the demands to the Zilla Parishad with his recommendations.
The Lok Raj Sangathan members decided to keep up the campaign after further investigation on what the rights of people in this issue are. Afterwards many local residents congratulated LRS because no other organisation had raised this issue so effectively till now. How important an issue this is for the people can be gauged from the fact that despite a lack of affordable public transport, and though it was on their day of fasting, many people had come with their children walking to the demonstration from