Upping the ante against the proposed amendments to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Sunday announced that they would take out a ‘Belagavi Chalo’ protest march on November 13, the inaugural day of the State legislature session there.
They also plan to launch a relay hunger strike in Belagavi on that day.
Health Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar is all set to table the amendment Bill at the session.
At a meeting held here on Sunday, the IMA resolved to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Ramesh Kumar and demand that the amendments, which it terms “draconian”, be dropped. “We have unanimously decided to oppose the amendments in every way possible. The ‘Belagavi Chalo’ [march] will coincide with the first day of the session. The relay hunger strike will go on till our demands are met,” IMA State unit president H.N. Ravindra said.
He said doctors from across the State representing various associations, including the KPME association, would participate.
Meanwhile, activists who condemned the continued opposition to the Bill by private doctors urged MLAs of all parties not to succumb to the private medical establishment lobby and to stand by citizens to uphold the dignity of democratic values in governance. “We urge all the MLAs to respond to the pain and suffering of patients who bear the brunt of exploitation by private hospitals. We urge MLAs to unanimously approve the amendments to the Act,” said Akhila Vasan of the Karnataka Janarogya Chaluvali.
