A growing contingent of people concerned about how hospitals treat COVID-19 is calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill the Republican party is quickly pushing through the state’s legislature. The Republican-led effort seeks to extend a law that grants near-immunity to healthcare providers for their treatment of COVID-19, as long as they follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They say the measure still is needed to help healthcare facilities stay solvent during the pandemic. The original measure was passed in 2021 and was set to expire in March. But Republicans are pushing an extension bill through the Florida House and Senate. The effort seeks to extend the law’s special protections for healthcare providers through June 1, 2023. Contention over the bill puts DeSantis, a Republican, in a tricky spot in an election year, with 17 challengers vying for …