KARNATAKA GOVT HOLDS NEW DEROGATORY MEDICAL BILL TO REGULATE DOCTORS & HOSPITALS  after protest will West Bengal doctors react same way to amend their derogatory Bill against doctors & hospitals?

dr RAM,HIV /AIDS,HEPATITIS ,SEX DISEASES & WEAKNESS expert,New Delhi,India, profdrram@gmail.com,+917838059592,+919832025033,ON WHATSAPP

Politicians particularly running government to score brawny points among public and media highlights and breaking news often visit hospitals and check availability of medicines,facilities and often sacks or question doctors blaming them for all irregularities knowing well that they allocate very less budget for health sectors and out of this their bureaucrats and ministers digest most as commission while procuring medcines and other facilities .Similiary first Government of West Bengal and then Karnataka Government introduced a health regualtory Ammendment bill to tap doctors and Pvt hospitals.               

         The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled a bill to amend certain provisions of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007 which  directs that all private medical establishments would have to follow the rates fixed by the government, including the package rates for investigation, bed charges, operation theatre procedure, intensive care, ventilation, implants, consultation and similar tests among others which shall not attract additional charges over and above those fixed by the state government, including the package rates unless explained to and consented to by the patient.“Every private medical establishment shall provide proper estimates for treatments not covered in fixed rates and charges to the patient or attendant of the patient during initiation or due course of treatment and final bill shall not exceed estimates,” the bill stated.

         The state government suggested that on the recommendation of the expert committee to fix the rates of each class of treatment and different rates may be fixed for different class of private medical establishment.“If the private medical establishments collect more charges than that fixed by the state government, to impose a penalty of not less than Rs25,000 which may extend to Rs5 lakh and imprisonment not less than six months which may be extended to three years,” the bill adds.

          Though the fate of the bill remains uncertain at this juncture, new clauses have been inserted to ensure private hospitals not to demand advance payment in case of emergency treatment.“Every private medical establishment shall handover in the event of the death, the body of the deceased immediately without insisting on the payment of the dues,” the bill states, while adding that dues can be recovered from representatives of the deceased in due course.The bill also suggests the setting up of a district of metropolitan grievance redressal committee for redressal of grievance of patients and will submit report within 3 months which doctors cant challenge in local courts.                        

            Last week, thousands of medical practitioners and hospital owner, had organised a mass rally to show their opposition towards the proposed recommendations of the bill, calling it draconian and arbitrary. The doctors had also threatened mass shut down, if the government decided to go with the said bill in its current form. They had also shown opposition to the government hospitals being kept out of the purview of the bill.

             In what may be considered a victory for the private medical practitioners and hospital/nursing home owners in the state of Karnataka, the Legislative Assembly which was in the process of passing the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2017 has now instead referred it to a joint house committee to come up with recommendations within five weeks .

                             Such bill also passed by West Bengal Assembly as doctors of state IMA which is a political wing of ruling party didnot protest but now after opposition by Central IMA ,State CM talked with Central IMA and agreed not to  punish Doctors directly without referring it to state MCI but did nothing in Bill.

                     Similar Bills will be passed by other state assembly too to hide the failure of State government to provide fund for free service and best service in government hospitals.they will appease public by attacking doctors and private hospitals without understanding complex medical treatment philosphy and this can be prevented only as done by karnataka Doctors not as WB IMA did otherwise for Government mistakes and failures politicians,bureaucrats and judges will blame Doctors only.

         So it is a high time for every doctors of India whether in private or government to fight such bill tooth and nail if introduced any where otherwise more and more doctors will be first attacked by roudy public for any failure or complications in both Government and Private sectors as such bill through media has put doctors in Dock of dishonesty and corruption in eye of common people.Secondly redressal Boards as described in such bills ,constituted of non medical retired babus and judges will punish Doctors as fine in thousand or lacs rupees or shelter in jail.Mass protest,media briefings,public meetings, holding work except emergency  is the only way by which Our Government listens.Mock and silent protest are of no use.