BELAGAVI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured the doctors that the government was also concerned about their apprehensions and that it had not intended to target the doctors. Asking the doctors not to fall prey to rumours, he said, considering their suggestions the government would revise the bill and requested for cooperat ion with the government. Later, Siddaramaiah told mediapersons, “The government has agreed to make changes in clauses on which the doctors expressed concern.
These changes would not sacrifice the interest of the common man, for whom the government has brought changes to the existing KPME Act. The government has tried to address the apprehensions expressed by doctors over the bill and reached a settlement in the interest of the public.” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah refused to own up the responsibility of deaths that took place during the strike and said, “Where is the evidence to prove these deaths happened due to strike only?” Defending the bill, the health minister said that amendments were necessary as the Act had failed to serve the purpose.
Moreover, as the government was bringing Universal Health Scheme, changes brought would help the government to implement it properly. Not elaborating on changes to be brought to the bill, he said that if anybody make false complaint on negligence in treatment by doctors, the new act would have a clause to punish them also.
In case of hospitals’ resistance to hand over the body of a person who dies during the treatment if medical bill is not cleared, the government would consider to protect their interest also, he added. Meanwhile, Dr Ravindra, who represented the doctors, said the government has cleared their apprehension about the bill and he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. After the doctors’ delegation went to the protest site and informed agitating doctors about the outcome of the meeting, they finally withdrew the agitation.