The Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the private hospitals and medical practitioners to immediately withdraw their ongoing protest against Karnataka Governments proposed bill Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act (KPME) which is expected to make law more stringent against erring private doctors.
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar made the request in its order while adjourning further hearing on PIl petitions, which have complained about severe hardship caused to the public at large due to the “inhuman” decision of medical practitioners to go on strike.
The court said it hoped that the medical practitioners, who are learned persons, will realise the gravity of the situation and their responsibility towards society.
The Court said that it can pass appropriate orders to deal with the issue but is in favour of doctors themselves withdrawing the strike. The Bench adjourned further hearing to Friday after the Advocate General said that the State Government has an open mind on doctors’ grievances and will table the bill only after meeting doctors’ representatives later this evening.
However, even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to the agitating private doctors to resume talks, the agitation intensified with several private hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centers closed down to exert pressure on the Government to drop the bill.
In a twitter message, Siddaramaiah told the private doctors that the Bill has not been introduced in the two houses of the legislature and said that the Government was still open for talks. He also alleged that the opposition parties with an eye on next year Assembly elections were attempting utilise the opportunity and encouraging the doctors to continue the protest.
''When the bill is not introduced, when we are willing to talk to stakeholders, I am surprised by the unilateral decision of IMA to continue the strike and disrupt health services'' he said requesting the doctors to show responsibility, be true to the noble profession and talk to the Government.
The agitating doctors were demanding the Government to withdraw the proposed amendment to Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act (KPME) which is aimed to regulate the functioning of the Private Medical establishments in the State and impose penalty and jail term for violation.
While sources claimed more than 11 people have died allegedly due to non-availability of treatment by Private Doctors, but Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refuted the allegation stating that it cannot be proved that deaths have caused due to agitation since there are Government hospitals with all facilities and doctors working overtime to attend to the patients.
The ongoing session of the Karnataka legislator also witnessed noisy debate over the issue. Karnataka Health Minister Ramesh Kumar came down heavily against the leaders of IMA-Karnataka chapter for creating fear among other private doctors about the proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act and forcing them to go on strike . BJP members however staged a walkout. Participating in a discussion on doctor’s strike in the legislative Assembly, he said the doctors’ leaders had pushed the matter to a ‘dead end’ and were threatening the Government at a ‘point of gun’ even before the amendment bill was presented in the legislature.
Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar of the BJP accused the Congress Government of making the doctor’s strike a prestige issue. He alleged that both Chief Minister and Health Minister have failed to tackle the issue. He argued that BJP’s intention of opposing the bill is not to support the private doctors but only to ensure that people who are sick were not left in the lurch.