Belagavi: A diluted version of the controversial medical Bill to regulate private healthcare was passed by a voice vote in the Karnataka Assembly yesterday after dropping a jail-term clause for doctors.

The changes were made after the original Bill met with stiff resistance from doctors and owners of private hospitals and nursing homes, who had called the penal provisions for medical negligence “draconian.” The Government and the striking doctors had reached an amicable settlement that led to the withdrawal of the indefinite strike on Nov. 17.

Meeting a major demand of the doctors, the Bill removes imprisonment provisions in case of violation of certain sections of the Act. Earlier, the Bill had proposed six months to three years jail term and hefty penalty for medical negligence on the part of doctors, protesting which they struck work last week, paralysing medical services.

The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which makes amendments to the KPME Act, 2007 (Karnataka Act 21 of 2007) was tabled by Health and Family Welfare Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday. It also provides for emergency treatment as per the need without insisting on payment of advance from patient or representative of the patient in specified cases and enhancing certain monetary penalties leviable under certain sections.

Replying to the debate, Kumar said along with service rules and making it mandatory to list staff availability, medicine, services and equipment at Government hospitals, there is a plan for an independent body as a regulator. “We are planning for an independent body, a regulator to come into force, headed by a Judge. We will bring this during the next (Legislature) Session,” he added.

The Bill also empowers the State Government to fix uniform package rates for treatment and procedures under its health assurance schemes, specify the patients’ charter and private medical establishments’ charter. It provides for levy of monetary penalty in case of non-compliance to the patients’ charter or private medical      establishments’ charter.

Participating in the debate, Opposition BJP leader Jagadish Shettar, JD(S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy and several other Legislators had expressed reservations about Government doctors and hospitals being kept out of the Bill purview.