Bengaluru, Jun 17 (DHNS): A day after talks with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, doctors representing various medical associations from across the state staged a protest demanding that the government withdraw the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2017.
Thousands of doctors under the banner Joint Action Committee-Karnataka on Friday held a protest rally from Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station to Freedom Park demanding that the government withdraw the Bill that is aimed at regulating treatment fee among others.
Representatives of at least 25 organisations including Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, Indian Medical Association, Federation of Healthcare Associations-Karnataka and Association of Healthcare Providers-India took part in the protest.
An official release by the committee claimed that 15,000 doctors and paramedics participated in the protest. Some of the prominent doctors who took part in the protests included Dr Devi Shetty of Naryana Health, Dr B S Ajaikumar of HCG and Dr Bhujang Shetty of Narayana Netralaya. Former Lokayukta Judge Santosh Hegde too expressed solidarity with the medical fraternity by addressing the protesters.
“The Bill is not a reasonable classification under the Constitution. It will not even stand the scrutiny of court even for five minutes,” Justice Hegde said.
“It is harsh and unreasonable. Doctors cannot be treated as criminals. It shows double standards. We are forced to step out of hospitals due to this,” said Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman and managing director of Narayana Netralaya.
The private medical associations submitted a memorandum to the government raising their concerns. The memorandum says that instead of controlling the medical establishments, it tries to control doctors and the profession itself. The Act stipulates formation of a patient charter. It questions the doctor-patient interaction and reassurance, and projects it as a crime, it states.
Lukewarm response in Dakshina Kannada district
Opposing the bill meant to regulate fees being charged by private hospitals in the state which was tabled in the state assembly, the state unit of Indian Medical Association had given call for hospitals bandh on Friday June 16. However, the response for the bandh call in Dakshina Kannada district was not enthusiastic.
Most of the hospitals in the district operated normally on Friday and extended service to patients. In a handful of hospitals however, only emergency services were available. Hospitals like KMC hospitals near Jyothi and Attavar in the city, Fr Muller Hospital, Yenepoya Hospital and many others functioned normally. Only emergency services were available in Indiana Hospital while outpatient section of A J Hospital did not function from 11.30 am till evening. In Unity Hospital too except outpatient department, all other services were made available.
Although hospitals were opened in towns like Sullia and Puttur, outpatient departments did not operate there. Emergency services were kept outside the purview of bandh call. Private clinics functioned normally.
Dr G S Chandrashekhar, president of Udupi division of the Association of Physicians of India, said that the protest call given to shut hospitals had received very good response in the district, and that outpatient departments of almost all the hospitals did not function on Friday. In-patients in wards received care and treatment as usual and emergency services were not hit.