BENGALURU: After much debate and apprehensions, the state government finally tabled the KPME Bill in the assembly on Tuesday. This was met with mixed responses from doctors as well as activists.
While doctors are convinced that the bill has addressed most of their concerns, activists say it is a watered down bill with much lenience for private players. Dr Madan Gaekwad, president, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association, said the bill addressed most of their demands.
“It is a win-win bill. They have been fair in addressing several issues such as the jail term and reconstitution of authority. However, the payment of emergency cases and clearance of bills before claiming the dead body is another issue. We are hopeful that the patients are aware that it is their duty to ensure that bills are paid on time,” he added.
Ajaikumar, president, Association of Healthcare Providers of India, said the tabled bill is in agreement with doctors demands. “All that we had sought in a meeting with the chief minister has been looked into,” he said.
Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a health activist, lauded the state’s move to make it mandatory for private hospitals to provide emergency care irrespective of weather the patient can foot medical expense or not. She also said that it was a good move to mandate private hospitals to hand over the patient’s body to attenders even if previous bills have not been cleared.
Akhila Vasan from the Karnataka Janarogya Chaluvali said activists were happy over several points being considered including the patient charter. She, however, said with respect to the cost regulation there was a huge setback. “