Bill to regulate private hospitals unlikely to come up at extended Session

The government had proposed an amendment to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act 2007 The bill allows the state government to determine the rate of treatment and consultation at private hospitals The government had proposed to slap Rs 5 lakh fine and imprisonment up to three years, if violated

The bill to regulate private hospitals that was tabled at the Legislative Assembly last week, may not come up for discussion at the extended session on Monday.

The bill was strongly opposed by doctors who also staged a protest in the city, last week. Their protest had severely impacted the patients at many hospitals. Also, the government's move has been opposed by JD(S). Fearing further backlash, the government is not ready to discuss the bill, reports Kannada Prabha.

The protesting doctors had felt that the government's move was "draconian" and absolutely biased. The private hospitals offer better treatment than the hospitals run by the government. The state government had proposed to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act 2007 empowering the government to regulate private hospitals and fix fees for medical procedures. The bill follows a recommendation of a panel headed by retired Supreme Court judge Vikramajit Sen. The bill authorises the state government to fix the rate for treatment provided in private hospitals. The hospitals have to follow the price chart provided by the state government and cannot overcharge it.

Under the bill, the government proposes to determine the treatment price at the hospitals that includes consultation and even surgery at private hospitals. Violators will be slapped with up to Rs 5 lakh fine and imprisonment of six months to three years.