Doctors go on strike in Karnataka, no OPD service tomorrow
- Over 15,000 doctors will strike work tomorrow protesting against the amendments to KPME Act, 2007
- The Act empowers the government to regulate and fix fees for various procedures in private hospitals.
- Those violating the rules will be penalised to the tune of Rs 5 lakhs and 3 years imprisonment.
- Emergency services will not be affected. OPD will shut doors.
- Doctors strongly condemn the Health Minister calling them ‘looters, dacoits.’
FollowThe private and government doctors are striking work tomorrow protesting against the State Government’s proposal to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act 2007 empowering the government to regulate private hospitals and fix fees for medical procedures. Â
According to the new Bill, the private hospitals are not permitted to charge any extra fee over and above what is fixed by the government for medical procedures. Violating any of the rules will attract a fine of Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to 3 years.
The revised Bill also has provision to open separate counters at all districts for public to lodge complaints about mistakes by doctors. The doctors are protesting against this too. Doctors from across the State numbering over 15,000 are taking a rally tomorrow from Bengaluru Railway Station to Freedom Park.
Barring emergency services, all other medical services will come to stand still. There is a possibility of government doctors joining hands with their private counterparts.
The Indian Medical Association president Dr Prabhakar has strongly condemned the Health Minister calling the doctors as ‘dacoits and looters’. We did not expect such words from a minister, he said. We will not allow the Bill to be passed in the Assembly. We strongly oppose the government’s proposal to regulate medical fees at private hospitals. Instead of the KPME Act 2007, let the government implement Karnataka Clinic Establishment Act, said Dr Prabhakar to Suvarna News.
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