Mangaluru: Private hospitals across Dakshina Kannada district will not function on Friday as a token of protest against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 that was tabled in the assembly in June this year.

Nearly 1,300 members of Mangaluru branch of IMA and 2,000 other practicing physicians will not attend work. The statewide strike is against the proposed amendments to KPME Act, 2011, Dr Raghavendra Bhat, president of Mangaluru branch of IMA told reporters on Wednesday.

“All those who want treatment on that day should go to government hospitals and experience their level of service,” he said. Expressing concern that the proposed amendment has left the government healthcare facilities outside its purview, Dr Bhat said this is denying private players in the healthcare sector the much needed level playing field. “We are not against the government healthcare sector. But to burden the private healthcare providers with a stringent level of compliance is not expected,” he said.

Citing some of the ‘draconian’ measures in the amendment, Dr Bhat said doctors are being seen more like criminals rather than life savers by subjecting them to prison term ranging from three months to three years for a range of infringements. Hefty fines have been mooted for issues such as delay in honouring appointment commitment. “Errant doctors have to appear before a committee headed by the additional DC without any legal representation to back them up,” he said.

Most private hospitals provide subsidised services under various government health programmes. These service-oriented schemes are difficult to manage but most doctors are helping the government.