If You Get Sick on Nov 3, You Are in Trouble! ‘Cause Private Doctors Will be on Strike

If You Get Sick on Nov 3, You Are in Trouble! ‘Cause Private Doctors Will be on Strike

Mangaluru: Gone are the days when only Beedi Workers, Laborers, Govt workers and so on used to go on strike- but unfortunately these days we are seeing even Doctors going on strike-thereby putting the patients in hardship and all kind of inconveniences. Oh well, looks like a Global Warming or Global Change! There’s nothing much one can do- when the Doctors want their grievances to be settled by the government or the concerned department/authorities- nobody can stop them from striking or staying away from work. So coming 3 November, make sure you stay healthy- and in case you get sick and seek treatment from private doctors or private hospitals-you will totally be in trouble and face all kinds of inconveniences looking for healthcare/treatment. Your only option is to go to a government hospital or govt nursing home.

Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Mangalore Press Club, Dr Raghavendra Bhat- President of India Medical Association (IMA- Mangaluru Chapter) said, ” The Mangaluru unit of the India Medical Association (IMA) has called for a voluntary bandh of all private hospitals and private clinics on November 3 in support to the statewide IMA members’ strike against implementation of Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in assembly this month. On November 3, all the private clinics and hospitals will be closed from morning 6 am to next day 6 am. Service will be available for in-patients only. Only government hospitals/clinics will be open”.

Upset over the amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2017, under which the government will fix rates for various procedures in private hospitals and penalise those flouting it, associations of private medical establishments and nursing homes in Karnataka have therefore planned this bundh. They call Bill ‘draconian’ because it allows govt. to fix rates for procedures, which the doctors are against it. “Government of Karnataka is planning to present KPME Act amendment in the assembly in November. This act has been presented already once and had objections of members of the assembly, doctors and many organizations. Hence it was referred to joint committee. It is being tabled again in the assembly,” added Dr Bhat.

The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, tabled in the State Legislative Assembly, has kept government hospitals out of the purview of the legislation, setting aside the recommendation of the Justice Vikramajit Sen committee. The committee, appointed in July 2016 to draft amendments to regulate the healthcare system in the State, had said that there cannot be two sets of rules for private and government hospitals. A team of doctors will be meeting the CM on 2 November and will also submit a memorandum and seek his intervention. Dr Bhat further said, “If the government does not agree to our demand, we will come out with a resolution on the future course of action. If we get in writing that the Bill will be abolished, we will cancel our strike,”.

Dr Bhat further informed Indian Medical Association’s important objections which were as follows:

– Reducing the term of registrations to three years from existing five years. It has no logical basis and increases corruption.

– Adding a charter called as ‘Patients charter’ which is improperly defined and creating confusion. It will surely spoil the patient-doctor relationship. Some of the clauses in this charter are funny also.

-We are already answerable to the medical council, district registration authority, consumer court and civil as well as criminal court. There is no justification to add on more investigating agency called ‘District Redressal Forum’, which has powers of the civil court when so many constitutionally formed institutions are already are to address patients grievances.

-Fixation of ‘fee’, structure, giving prior ‘estimates’ before treatment and handing over of the dead body without receiving dues will effect day to day functioning of the private institutions. They will affect speedy and timely treatment of patients. Such provisions in the act will add to increasing the communication gap between patient and doctor. Hence this will affect the quality of treatment.

– Heavy penalties of lakhs of rupees and jail terms of five years have been proposed for simple irregularities which is totally unfair and doctors will have to work under threat when viewed overall, the amendments proposed are going to damage the health system maintained by the private institutions. We are sure that improperly defined clauses, contradicting rules and interference in day to day working of doctors certainly may take the life of many patients. This appears that these clauses are defined by an inexperienced person who does not know about the day to day functioning of the private medical system. Many of our members are of the view of quitting the medical profession if these proposed amendments are imposed.

The Bill, when passed by the legislature, will enable the government to regulate private hospitals in all aspects. It envisages setting up of an expert committee that would classify private medical establishments and recommend the State government to fix the cost of treatment for different medical services. “Every private medical establishment shall follow the rates as fixed by the government and this includes package rates for investigation, bed charges, operation theatre procedures, intensive care, ventilation, implants, consultation and any additional treatments,” the Bill stated.

Prohibiting private hospitals from imposing additional charges over and above the rates fixed by the government “unless explained to and consented to by the patient”, the Bill has mooted the setting up of a district and metropolitan grievance redressal committee to look into the complaints against or lapses on the part of the private hospitals. The Bill mandates private hospitals to first hand over the dead body to a family and later collect the dues payable to it. It also prohibits private hospitals from demanding advance payments from patients or the family in case of emergency treatments. Activists and members of like-minded groups led by the Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali and the Alternative Law Forum have welcomed the move to keep government hospitals out of the purview of the Act.

Dr Kadri Yogesh Bangera-Secretary; Dr G K Bhat- Treasurer; Dr Diwakar Rao and Dr Devadas Rai-Board Members of IMA were also present during the press meet.