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Protesters who marched 300 km over healthcare in hills stopped near Assembly in Dehradun
The march, which started on October 24, began with a demand for a comprehensive healthcare policy to strengthen medical infrastructure in the hilly areas.
Protesters who marched over 300km from Chaukhutia in Almora to Dehradun demanding better healthcare facilities in the hill regions were stopped by the police near the Rispana bridge on Tuesday as they attempted to gherao the Uttarakhand Assembly during its ongoing session.
The march, which started on October 24, began with a demand for a comprehensive healthcare policy to strengthen medical infrastructure in the state’s hilly areas. The protest is part of the continuing “Operation Swasthya” movement that started on October 2 in Chaukhutia under the leadership of former soldier Bhuvan Kathayat. Over time, the agitation grew into a major public campaign involving thousands of villagers, including women, children, and the elderly.
Following the initial protests, the state government had on October 16 announced the upgradation of the Chaukhutia Community Health Centre (CHC) into a 50-bed Sub-District Hospital (SDH). However, protestors called the move “incomplete” and vowed to continue their struggle until a comprehensive healthcare policy is implemented.
Locals said that inadequate healthcare services force patients to travel long distances for basic treatment. They alleged that medical centres in the region suffer from an acute shortage of doctors, staff, and equipment, while ambulances remain unavailable or non-functional for months.
“We have peacefully undertaken over 300 km of padyatra from Chaukhutia to Dehradun. Unfortunately, no one from the government has come forward to hear our demands,” said Kathayat. “We will not give up until our demands are met,” he added. Another protestor said, “Health is a fundamental right. People are dying on roads because of lack of facilities. The government must bring a strong health policy to address this.”
Meanwhile, the issue reached the Uttarakhand Assembly on Tuesday, where Congress MLAs raised concerns over the state’s healthcare system. Leader of opposition Yashpal Arya said, “A protest has been going on in Chaukhutia for 35 days over poor health facilities, but the government has not taken cognisance. The protestors walked over 300km and reached Dehradun on Monday. There is a ‘police raj’ in Dehradun, women were lathi-charged. This is a people’s movement. The norms of the CHC are not being fulfilled.”
Responding to the Opposition’s criticism, state parliamentary affairs minister Subodh Uniyal said that the government has already upgraded the Chaukhutia CHC to a Sub-District Hospital and deployed two additional doctors at the facility.
Uniyal claimed the agitation was “politically motivated,” stating, “For politics, innocent people are being misled.” To this, Arya countered, “If the government has fulfilled their demands, then why did they have to march to Dehradun?”
The protestors, who continue to camp in Dehradun, said they will not withdraw their agitation until the government ensures adequate medical staff, equipment, and emergency facilities in hill areas through a state-wide health policy.
