Mysuru: In a show of vehement protest against a draconian law to be introduced by the Government, intended to regulate private hospitals in the State in the matter of treatment and hospital charges etc., all the private hospitals in city will be closed tomorrow from 8 am to 8 am the following day.
The doctors are up in arms against the State Government’s decision to implement the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2017. The strike has been called by the Karnataka Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and will affect all private outpatient medical facilities in the State for 24 hours and only emergency and trauma cases will be attended.
A meeting was held to chalk out the modalities of the strike at a private hotel this morning and the meeting was chaired by Mysuru IMA President Dr. Vishveshwara and Mysore Association of Hospitals and Nursing Homes (MAHAN) President Dr. Mahesh Kumar. In Mysuru, there are over 120 private hospitals and clinics.
Speaking to SOM, MAHAN Media Convener Dr. Javed Nayeem said that a massive rally will be held tomorrow at J.K. Grounds to protest against the State Government’s move.
The amendment, which was aimed to regulate private medical care and make it beneficial for the common man, has been termed as “draconian” by the private medical fraternity.
In their communication to the Chief Minister and Health Minister, the IMA communicated specific objections to the law, especially about the provision of imprisoning doctors for alleged mistreatment.
In a press statement, IMA demanded to drop amendments made in respect of constituting district grievance redressal committee, punishment for doctors in case of failure of treatment and charging fees. It said that they are ready to display the cost of each treatment but questioned how it would be appropriate for the Government to decide the revision of treatment cost. “If the proposed amendments are brought in, it will be a death trap to small and medium-sized hospitals,” the statement said.
Doctors say that by bringing in amendments, in one or the other way, the Government is ‘trying to kill the confidence of the doctors.’ The Bill also has provisions to imprison or fine doctors and also cap the prices of medical services. Arguing that criminalisation will only prove to be counterproductive, the IMA said that it will make doctors hesitant to treat risky cases. The IMA has also claimed that the capping of prices of medical services as proposed in the Bill by an expert committee is “unconstitutional” and asked the Government to invest in better healthcare.
I do not support this government, but it is time that these private hospitals are prevented from ripping off patients. My relatives suffered from this rip-off and they often have to sell their possessions to get treatments from these hospitals which often are based on wrong diagnosis.
I see the usual pontificating person with ” holier than thou” attitude through his column in this paper, Nayeem, is up in arms! What hypocrisy this is! I urge the government to stand firm and bring in appropriate laws to regulate these hospitals, I urge the government to strictly specify treatment standards and feeto be charged for each treatment.
So good Na that we private doctors are closing shop . You can get treatment from honest and efficient govt hospital where you are not riffed off
I was also told recently that from a helpless, poor already declared dead clinically was advised MRI and further investigations by a well known hospital at Mysore in captivity and later declared dead despite all efforts to save the patient. The patient was dead already before taken to the hospital but the members of the family had a death shock later with mounting bills. Probably thought that the patient and family came from a IT sector with handsome insurance behind them. I do not know what happened later! A recourse to common man is badly called for as from Government if that Government ever exists. The present law is that direct direction. But the law must prevent misuse arbitrarily against guanine doctors who still practice hypo critic oath to save mankind and serve the profession diligently. No doubt the current trend has made both the hospital and Doctors to lure and make quick bucks at the cost of precious human lives.
A very comment from a Doctor.
A very honest comment from a Doctor.
By calling the law ‘DRACONIAN ‘, this news paper has already shows which side it supports! Hospitals private or public are supposed to practice with ethics! What is happening is, private hospitals are acting like business with no Ethics! Sometimes they are mor interested in ordering unnecessary expensive tests, damage the health, scare tactics and extortion in the name of medical science! If these doctors had any humanity, they should have protested against the hospitas, not supporting them! It is because the doctors also have become the benefitiaries while hospitals have been swinding the Patients! I am not suggesting that the state governments are any angels, probably they are doing this because the ruling party is expecting a higher percentage of the loot but still what they are doing may help the poor
By calling the law ‘DRACONIAN ‘, this news paper has already shows which side it supports! Hospitals private or public are supposed to practice with ethics! What is happening is, private hospitals are acting like business with no Ethics! Sometimes they are mor interested in ordering unnecessary expensive tests, damage the health, scare tactics and extortion in the name of medical science! If these doctors had any humanity, they should have protested against the hospitas, not supporting them! It is because the doctors also have become the benefitiaries while hospitals have been swinding the Patients! I am not suggesting that the state governments are any angels, probably they are doing this because the ruling party is expecting a higher percentage of the loot but still what they are doing may help the poor
totally agree with you.