Victory for Medical Profession: Karnataka Govt to reconsider controversial KPME Bill

This comes after a detailed debate on the proposed Bill took place in the legislative assembly on Tuesday. The state health minister was seen vehemently defending the bill, stating that the bill is to regulate hospital establishment and not doctors and is to protect the interest of the poor people in the state.

It is reported that many features of the controversial KPME bill, has seen a staunch opposition from the medical fraternity. The bill empowers the government to fix rates for procedures in private hospitals, set up grievance redressal cells, prohibit any additional charges and any advance payment in case of an emergency. Moreover, if the private medical establishments collect more charges than that fixed by the state government, the government can impose a penalty of not less than Rs 25,000 which may extend to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment not less than six months which may be extended to three years.

Read Also: Govt to Fix Rates of Private Hospitals in Karnataka, Tables bill

Last week, thousands of medical practitioners and hospital owner, had organised a mass rally to show their opposition towards the proposed recommendations of the bill, calling it draconian and arbitrary. The doctors had also threatened mass shut down, if the government decided to go with the said bill in its current form. They had also shown opposition to the government hospitals being kept out of the purview of the bill

Read Also: Hospitals shut, Doctors on Street against Karnataka Private Establishment Bill