Karnataka doctors' strike: Siddaramaiah to meet stakeholders on Friday

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has invited the Indian Medical Association (IMA) representative, private medical establishments and other key stakeholders for a discussion in a bid to end the doctors' strike over the KPME Bill.

The meeting will be held at Suvarna Soudha in Belgaum on Friday. Siddaramaiah also spoke to state Health Minister Ramesh Kumar today over the issue.

Close to 22,000 private doctors in Bengaluru alone have joined the protest against Karnataka Private Medical Establishments bill. On Thursday notices expressing regret over shut OPDs were put up in all private hospitals. Doctors are protesting at the IMA office demanding that the Siddaramaiah government roll back amendments made to the bill.

"The amendments would mean the end of private medical centres in the state. We are not fighting just for us but also for patients. Private provide more than 70 percent health care in the state and the bill will destroy it all," said Dr. Jayanna, President-elect, Karnataka private hospitals association.

Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has appealed to the doctors to call of protest and go back to work.

I met a group of doctors at Belagavi & assured them that govt will hear them before the KPME Bill is introduced again. I appealed to them to withdraw their strike. Yet, the strike is ongoing & continues to put people to inconvenience. /1

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 16, 2017

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah alleged that opposition parties were misusing the situation and appealed to the doctors to call of strike. He even assured that they would be given the opportunity to have their say over the bill.

BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa in a press release said that his party came to power, he would roll back the bill. Doctors have decided to continue the strike until the amendments to the bill are dropped.

OneIndia News