Karnataka: OPDs of all private hospitals to remain shut today

Bengaluru: All Out-Patient Department (OPD) services in the private hospitals across Karnataka will be non-functional tomorrow in protest against the proposed medical bill.

The protest has been called by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and is supported by several private doctors' associations.

They will be protesting the proposed amendment that empowers the government to fix prices of various medical services and prescribing punishment, including imprisonment, for doctors in case of irregularities in pricing matters.

The IMA and private practitioners are demanding the state government to consider the recommendations made by the committee headed by former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Vikramajit Sen.

Dr B S Ajaikumar, president, Association of Healthcare Providers India, said "The state government is propagating such a derogatory bill only to pull in votes."

Read also: Medical Bandh in Karnataka: More than 50000 Hospitals, Nursing Homes to Strike