A Bill to enhance transparency in private medical establishments and to empower the State government to fix uniform package rates for treatment and procedures under the health assurance schemes of the government was tabled in the Karnataka Assembly on Tuesday.

Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare KR Ramesh Kumar tabled the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill (KPME), 2017.

Objectives

Citing the recommendations of the joint select committee of both Houses, the Health Minister said that after discussions with delegates of doctors’ associations, it was considered necessary to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007.

The following are the objects and reasons for the Bill: reconstitute the registration and grievances redressal authority and to specify the patient’s charter and private medical establishment’s charter in the schedule to the private medical establishment Act.

The Bill also provides for levy of monetary penalty in case of non-compliance to the patient’s charter or private medical establishment’s charter.

Emergency treatment

With regard to penal provisions, the Bill has removed the provision for imprisonment in case of violation of a few sections such as Section 12 and 13. There is provision for emergency treatment without insisting on advance payment from patient or representatives of patients in specified cases.

Medical establishments should hand over body of deceased patients to this representative without insisting on prior payment of the dues. The Bill has enhanced monetary penalties leviable under Section 19, which imposes fine up to ₹1 lakh.

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