Govt move on Private Hospitals is justified but has a flip side to it

In the times of private hospitals over billing patients, subjecting them to unnecessary medical procedures and tests, being hand-in-glove with pharmaceutical companies to fleece the patients by over-pricing drugs, misusing medical insurances, the repeating scam of holding on to dead bodies till bills are paid and other malpractices becoming more common than ‘right medical aid at right time’, the government intervention to take control seems justified. However, the bill is not without its side-effects.  

Consider this at a time when Karnataka is becoming the Mecca for medical tourism and also for medical education. What would be its implications on medical tourism?

The Speaker has referred the Karnataka Private Hospital (Amendment) Bill 2017, which has created a storm in the medical world in the State, to the joint legislative committee for detailed study to look into its implications on both general public and the medical fraternity. The decision was taken as a result of heated debate in the Assembly Session, cutting across parties, on Tuesday, reports Kannada Prabha.

It was Health Minister Ramesh Kumar who nailed the issue that is causing concern among the medical fraternity by stating that “the doctors are taking to streets to protest against the bill without even knowing its implications. But who will take care of all those who spend their entire lives on the streets? There is a misunderstanding of the bill that all doctors will be jailed if the new bill comes into effect. Even if we want to, we cannot do that. The doctors are instigated to protest. The bill only aims at informing the public about the medical expenses before any treatment is taken up.” While welcoming the decision to hand over the bill to a joint council committee for examination, he also said “If the committee does not submit its report within a month or may be five weeks, it is useless”.

However, Congress senior member, former Health Minister Dr AB Malaka Reddy, in a strong refutal, mirrored the concerns of private hospitals. “There is a difference between ideal and real situation. The bill is more leaning towards ideology than reality. The private hospitals are already under attack. There are all the chances of various activist-organisations misusing the bill for the betterment of their interests. If the bill is passed there is a danger of them taking advantage and putting up tents in front of hospitals making demands. The health sector gets the least budget in our country. Before implementing this bill, efforts should be made to upgrade government hospitals and make considerable change in their functioning. In the current situation that seems impossible” he said.

Even BJP’s Suresh Kumar said while the bill deserves commandment, the government hospitals should also be brought under its purview. Calling it a “double-edged weapon” he said there are possibilities of it being misused. Finally, all members, cutting across parties, urged the government not to rush to table it but to refer it to the joint council committee for examination.

• private hospital bill