BELAGAVI: The ongoing stand-off between the government and private medical practitioners finally came to an end on Friday with the state agreeing to make changes to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Amendment Bill. The doctors also accepted the Government's proposal and agreed to withdraw the strike after a meeting with the chief minister Siddaramaiah and health minister Ramesh Kumar on Friday evening.
A delegation of private doctors headed by Dr. Ravindra, President of Indian Medical Association, Karnataka Chapter met the political leaders and arrived at the arrangement.
The move will bring relief to several patients who have been suffering from the lack of emergency treatment at private hospitals.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Siddaramaiah said that the government would bring changes to the clauses highlighted by the doctors. However, he insisted that the interests of the common man would be protected during the changes to the bill.
He declined to take the responsibility for the deaths that took place during the strike and said, "Where is the evidence to prove all these deaths are due to the strike only?"
Health minister Kumar continued to defend the bill and said that the amendment was necessary as the act had failed to serve its purpose. With a universal health scheme being planned by the government, the amendment would help in implementation, he said.
Dr. Ravindra said that the delegation was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and as a result, the strike had been withdrawn.
Speaking to Express, Dr. Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health, said that the government had agreed to split the complaints between the district level committee and the Medical Council of India. "If there is a complaint regarding treatment, the committee will direct the complainants to go to the Medical Council of India, if the complaint is about charges, the committee will hear it," he said. Dr. Shetty also pointed outthat the imprisonment clause, which stipulated jail time of six months to three years, had been abolished completely.