Siddaramaiah pleads, but doctors bent on strike

Belagavi: With doctors set to launch a relay hunger strike on Tuesday  —   after a day when many clinics were shut across the IT capital, causing severe hardship — rather than heed to CM Siddaramaiah's plea to withdraw protests against the controversial amendment to Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, both Houses are likely to witness stormy debates during the second day of winter session of legislature.

On Monday, the state chapter of IMA gave a thumbs-down to CM Siddaramaiah despite an assurance that he would consult them a second time before tabling the amendment in the lower house. Besides, he also assured doctors that the amendment would not be passed without conferring with them a second time, but in vain. 

The decision to launch a hunger strike came amid reports of a shutdown by private hospitals and clinics in various parts of the state, triggering a rush at government hospital, as scores of patients rushed here for treatment. The doctors threatened a complete shut-down in case the amendment was adopted in the Legislative Assembly. They were backed by leaders of BJP and JD (S) with former chief ministers Jagadish Shettar and H.D. Kumaraswamy joining the protest outside Suvarna Vidhana Soudha on Monday. At the site where thousands of doctors are to hold protests adjacent to Suvarna Vidhan Soudha, President of IMA Dr H.N. Ravindranath said, he would consider the gathering of doctors as the IMA's general body meeting. 

CM holds talks but docs unrelenting on KPME

Medical fraternity warns of total shutdown of all private hospitals in state if amendment bill is passed

As thousands of doctors from private hospitals across the state  agitated near the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in Belagavi against the government's efforts to regulate private hospitals and their practices,  lakhs of patients were left without medical care on Monday. With the winter session taking off at Suvarna Vidhan Soudha,  the doctors have not only decided to intensify their stir, but also threatened a "total shutdown" of  all private hospitals in the state if it passes the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Amendment Bill.

Although  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who held talks with representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), assured them that the Bill would not be passed without consulting it and another review, the IMA has called for a relay hunger strike by doctors in Belagavi from Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Siddaramaiah said he had asked the doctors to withdraw the strike and promised to consider their viewpoint on the bill.  IMA state president, H N Ravindra too seemed happy with his positive response to its demands. Meanwhile, patients in several private hospitals in Belagavi were left in the lurch by the doctors' protest. Except for the emergency wing of the KLE Hospital and Medical Research Centre, hardly any other department functioned on Monday. According to noted cardiologist Dr M R Prasad, over three lakh patients across the state were badly hit by the doctors' strike.

But with opposition leaders like  H.D. Kumaraswamy of JDS and  Jagadish Shettar of the BJP promising to back the doctors, a question mark now hangs over the success of the Bill in the legislature. While Mr Shettar assured the doctors that the BJP would  appeal to all legislators irrespective of their parties in both Houses not to support the Bill, Mr Kumaraswamy also promised to oppose the Bill  if it was tabled during  the ongoing session.

At the meeting, the IMA representatives referred to the findings of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission that private hospitals  were catering to all  government healthcare schemes, including providing treatment to BPL cardholders at its prescribed fee. They also pointed out  that they were not getting  benefits like subsidy on land, water, power or  tax concessions, and warned the government's efforts to cap their charges would force many private hospitals and nursing homes to shut shop.

Bengaluru doctors too join Belagavi stir
Many doctors from Bengaluru participated in the protest in belagavi on Monday against the  Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2017 whihc is likely to come up during the ongoing session. Dr Vasanthi Anand from Manasa Cochlear Implant and ENT Centre, who left the city on Monday to join the protest, said, "Many from the city have left to take part in the protest." Dr Arvind Canchi, Nephrologist and Transplant Physician, Sagar Hospitals, along with members of The Nephrology Association of Karnataka, also took part in the protest. 

However, it was business as usual at all private hospitals. The outpatient departments were not shut as the private hospital association (PHANA) after its discussion with Indian Medical Association ( IMA) did not give a call for a bandh in Bengaluru. "Amendments to the KPME Act are draconian and do not help the public, hospitals or the doctor. It is retrograde and we are not in favour of it," informs Dr Nagendra Swamy, Group Medical Director, Manipal Hospitals.