Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday said the State government should hold talks with doctors who have launched a strike demanding dropping of stringent provisions, including capping of prices, jail term and penalty for erring doctors, in the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Bill, 2017.
Speaking to presspersons before commencement of the second day session of the State Legislature here, Mr. Shettar blamed the Congress government for the doctors’ strike. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should initiate talks with the striking doctors to ensure amicable settlement of issues.
The BJP leader said the public has been put to inconvenience owing to the strike by doctors which entered the second day on Tuesday. Health services have been badly hit, he said and appealed to the government to hold talks with the IMA and other associations of doctors.
Meanwhile, doctors have decided to shut all medical establishments if their demands were not met.
On Monday, talks between the State government and striking doctors failed and doctors decided to continue their relay hunger strike.
Doctors met Mr. Siddaramaiah and demanded capping of prices to be limited only to government health schemes as 76 per cent patients under the government schemes are attended to by private hospitals and nursing homes. This being the case, doctors wanted capping of prices limited only to government schemes and private practice to be untouched.
