Bengaluru: Opposition members in the Assembly on Tuesday stiffly opposed the bill to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act in its present form though everyone appreciated the motive behind presenting the bill.
Leading the attack, former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr Suresh Kumar wanted to know whether the government had ensured that its healthcare system was perfect. He cited the example of setting up diagnosis and dialysis centres in his constituency with the Legislator's fund. Instead of handing them over to the government, Mr Suresh Kumar said he made Rotary Club sign an MoU with the government after which it took over the maintenance of these centres. “Had we given this task to the government, the system would have collapsed,” he said.
Besides, there are unruly elements in society who will make the best of such norms though they have nothing to do with it. A charter like this will only encourage them to prey on private hospitals, he warned.
Requesting the government not to hurry through the bill, Mr Suresh Kumar wanted it to be referred to a Joint House Committee which could give its recommendations in a month.
Even former Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr A.B. Malakaraddy said some technical aspects in the bill needed to be debated thoroughly.
While BJP member Dr Ashwathnarayan charged that the government was bringing the bill to cover up its failures in the public healthcare system, another BJP member and former minister Mr Basavaraj Bommai said there was a need to monitor the healthcare system, instead of regulating it.
Besides, the bill needed a comprehensive review, as it introduces more red tape in the healthcare system. For example, the Grievances Redressal Committees will be headed by the DC or ZP CEOs. Instead, these committees could be converted into professional bodies by making district health officers head them. There is a rule that the number of representatives from private medical establishments should not exceed one third of the committee members, which is not fair as there should be more professionals in the committee, he said.
