Activists flag concern over Karnataka’s proposed Right to Health Bill

Activists raise concerns over Karnataka's Right to Health Bill, fearing it may prioritize privatization over public healthcare responsibilities.

Opposition to the proposed draft Karnataka Right to Health and Emergency Medical Services Bill, 2025, is gathering momentum, with public health experts and civil society groups warning that the proposed legislation could entrench privatisation rather than strengthen public healthcare.

At a public consultation convened by the Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali and Dhwani Legal Trust, participants questioned whether the Bill meaningfully advances the right to health or dilutes the State’s responsibility as the primary provider of care.

Despite being one of India’s wealthier States, Karnataka continues to lag behind Kerala and Tamil Nadu on key indicators such as maternal mortality, infant mortality, neonatal mortality and under-five mortality. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data also points to high levels of anaemia among women and children, persistent child undernutrition and uneven insurance coverage.

Public health doctor and researcher Sylvia Karpagam said the conversation around a right to health law cannot be divorced from these structural gaps. “If the State does not commit to universal, free diagnostics, medicines and treatment through strengthened government facilities, the promise of a right to health will remain rhetorical,” she said.

Karnataka has often been projected as a model of reform because of its early adoption of privatisation, public-private partnerships and insurance-based care, in line with policy prescriptions promoted by institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. However, speakers argued that these approaches have not resolved inequities in access.

Akhila Vasan of the Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali said, “The draft Bill appears to legitimise these trends.”