Karnataka Cabinet To Decide On Including Govt Hospitals Under Regulatory Act

BENGALURU: The state directorate of health and family welfare services has proposed to the sate government to bring government hospitals under the ambit of the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007 and rename the law, Karnataka Medical Establishments Act The directorate said this is among the suggestions of the panel headed by Supreme Court judge Vikramajit Sen that it has accepted. The move follows the recommendation from Prof OV Nandimath of NLSIU to accept the panel’s suggestions.The directorate has asked the health and family welfare department to place these suggestions before the state cabinet for its consideration and acceptance.The Karantaka government had last month tabled in the legislative assembly a bill to amend the existing Act. Doctors in the private healthcare sector had taken exception to the bill, citing that it sought to leave government hospitals out of the ambit of all regulation and was in breach of the suggestions made by the Justice Sen committee The bill was referred to the joint select committee of the Karnataka legislature in the wake of criticism it drew.On Friday, the directorate said it has accepted eight suggestions made by Justice Sen committee.This includes bringing all institutions providing services that are medical in nature under the act including allopathy, ayurveda, yoga, unani, Sidda and Homeopathy; single window registration system; constitution of a complaints authority; mandatory prescription of generic medicines by doctors and publishing of patients’ charter addressing transparency in cost of health services and medicine among others. Asked whether the government hospital will now come under the regulations, a senior bureaucrat in the health department said “It’s being reviewed.”. 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-cabinet-to-decide-on-including-govt-hospitals-under-regulatory-act/articleshow/59598755.cms