19 private hospitals barred from serving patients under government schemes

Bengaluru, Jan 28: The state government will cancel the empanelment of 19 private hospitals, including some top corporate facilities, for refusing to serve patients under public healthcare schemes in protest against the non-payment of their dues.

On January 16, as many as 185 private hospitals across the state stopped performing non-elective surgeries under Vajpayee Arogyashree, Rajiv Arogya Bhagya and Jyothi Sanjeevini schemes. Except 19, all of them have now withdrawn the strike, according to Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

Among the 19 are some renowned corporate hospitals such as Mallya Hospital, MS Ramaiah Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya, all in Bengaluru, AJ Hospital and Research Centre, Mangaluru, and KMC, Manipal.

But all hospitals in Belagavi and Kalaburagi divisions are functional, the official said on Friday. She said the government had made alternative plans to substitute for these hospitals.

The 19 hospitals, however, can continue to serve patients who availed themselves of treatment previously and their bills would be cleared, but they can't take up new cases, she added.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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