THE PLANNING OF KPMEA - A DISASTER

Proposal to drop word ‘private’ from Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007 

What started as an effort by the Health Department to regulate the functioning of private hospitals appears to be ending up as an exercise at reining in both private and government hospitals.

The State government-appointed expert committee, headed by former Karnataka High Court chief justice Vikramjit Sen, set up to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007, has recommended that government hospitals too be brought under the Act.

The committee, which submitted its report to Health Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Friday, said that the word “private” will be dropped from the Act and it will be renamed as Karnataka Medical Establishments Act. The amended Act will be tabled in the June session of the Karnataka Legislature.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Mr. Sen and Mr. Ramesh Kumar said there was a need to amend the Act to ensure quality and affordable healthcare for all. Although the rules of KPME Act, 2007, were enacted in 2009, many healthcare institutions have slipped out of the Act and the purpose was not being served. 

“Our intention is to bring all hospitals on a par and make affordable healthcare easily available for people from all strata of society. At the same time, we want to ensure transparency and accountability in functioning of hospitals,” the Minister said.

Mr. Sen said the committee had come up with the recommendations following a series of meetings since July last year. The committee had representation from private hospitals, non-governmental organisations and professional bodies, he said, adding that the report was finalised after “mature deliberations and brainstorming among members”.

On the inclusion of government hospitals under the ambit of the Act, Mr. Sen said it was essential to ensure medical treatment is same for all. “It is essential to maintain standards and transparency in the costing of healthcare services. Patients’ interest is of prime importance whether they go to a private or government hospital. If patients’ charter is not adhered to in government hospitals, it will mainly be those who cannot afford private charges who will be at the receiving end,” he said.

Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Shalini Rajneesh circulated a note that said the committee deliberated on bringing all healthcare institutions, including AYUSH, under the Act. A single window for registration, adjudicating body to look into violations by hospitals, grievance redressal body, State and district authority, patients’ charter in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, are some of the other issues that were deliberated upon, she said.Following the committee’s report, the government has asked Professor O.V. Nandimath from National Law School of India University to incorporate the recommendations into the proposed amendments, she added.

Recommendations strengthen private lobby: Activists 

Alleging that the expert committee and the Health Department had “deliberately excluded” activists and members of like-minded groups led by Karnataka Janaarogya Chaluvali (KJC) and Alternative Law Forum from the final meeting on Friday, the activists condemned the committee’s recommendations.

“The recommendations are anti-people and designed to strengthen the private health sector lobby. We are dissociating ourselves from the committee and its recommendations. We do not want to be party to its anti-people recommendations that are designed to fail the people of this State and to destroy the public health system,” said Akhila Vasan of KJC.

“That the final deliberations were held with only representatives of the private health sector illustrates how vested interests are allowed to dictate terms to the government. It is no surprise that the drafting committee has decided to drop the word “private” from the Act thereby, bringing in the government health system also under the ambit of the Act,” she said.

However, Ms. Rajneesh said the final meeting only involved the legislation drafting committee members and the expert committee.

Proposal to drop word ‘private’ from Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007 

What started as an effort by the Health Department to regulate the functioning of private hospitals appears to be ending up as an exercise at reining in both private and government hospitals.

The State government-appointed expert committee, headed by former Karnataka High Court chief justice Vikramjit Sen, set up to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007, has recommended that government hospitals too be brought under the Act.

The committee, which submitted its report to Health Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Friday, said that the word “private” will be dropped from the Act and it will be renamed as Karnataka Medical Establishments Act. The amended Act will be tabled in the June session of the Karnataka Legislature.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Mr. Sen and Mr. Ramesh Kumar said there was a need to amend the Act to ensure quality and affordable healthcare for all. Although the rules of KPME Act, 2007, were enacted in 2009, many healthcare institutions have slipped out of the Act and the purpose was not being served. 

“Our intention is to bring all hospitals on a par and make affordable healthcare easily available for people from all strata of society. At the same time, we want to ensure transparency and accountability in functioning of hospitals,” the Minister said.

Mr. Sen said the committee had come up with the recommendations following a series of meetings since July last year. The committee had representation from private hospitals, non-governmental organisations and professional bodies, he said, adding that the report was finalised after “mature deliberations and brainstorming among members”.

On the inclusion of government hospitals under the ambit of the Act, Mr. Sen said it was essential to ensure medical treatment is same for all. “It is essential to maintain standards and transparency in the costing of healthcare services. Patients’ interest is of prime importance whether they go to a private or government hospital. If patients’ charter is not adhered to in government hospitals, it will mainly be those who cannot afford private charges who will be at the receiving end,” he said.

Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Shalini Rajneesh circulated a note that said the committee deliberated on bringing all healthcare institutions, including AYUSH, under the Act. A single window for registration, adjudicating body to look into violations by hospitals, grievance redressal body, State and district authority, patients’ charter in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, are some of the other issues that were deliberated upon, she said.Following the committee’s report, the government has asked Professor O.V. Nandimath from National Law School of India University to incorporate the recommendations into the proposed amendments, she added. – The Hindu