Discussion on bill still on: Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday objected to private doctors shutting OPDs and clinics across the state when discussions were still underway on the amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act. "We have only brought in a Bill, which has gone to the Joint Select Committee and will be discussed in the Assembly," he said.

Additional Chief Secretary, health, Ajay Seth, said the state health department had sent a directive to doctors in government hospitals all over Karnataka to work during the day and make sure that all medicines, especially the life-saving ones, were available. "All government hospitals in the state worked at full strength today and registered a higher number of OPD cases than usual," he added.