From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 27: In one of the biggest purges of health department officials in Karnataka, the state Government has dismissed as many as 805 doctors, 1308 nurses and laboratory technicians and 35 administrative officials for unauthorised absence of more than 120 days.

While the doctors, nurses and lab technicians come under the Group C staff category, the administrative officials belong to the Group B category.

Interestingly, the State Health and Family Welfare Department has announced two dozen of decisions on Thursday and most of them will come as a new year’s gift to people of the State.

Announcing decisions, Karnataka’s Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar said the government doctors serving in State who are absent for more than 120 days unauthorisedly are dismissed immediately from the service.

The doctors have remained absent for more than four months because they have either gone to higher studies or have started private practice even while remaining in the rolls of the Department.

To put an end to the menace of hospitals collecting exorbitant charges and ensure treatment on the principle of “treatment first, payment next’ in all private hospitals, the State Government has decided to amend the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (KPME) Act, 2007, he said.

The minister said the existing law would be amended based on the recommendations of a committee constituted under the Chairmanship of retired Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vikramjith Sen.

Based on his personal experience and complaints received from the public during visits to various hospitals since he assumed charge on June 23, Ramesh Kumar said the existing Act was toothless to act against private hospitals denying treatment to patients visiting hospitals and charging exorbitant fees for various tests and treatment.

He said the existing Act would be made more stringent to ensure compliance to professional ethics by doctors practicing in private clinics and hospitals.

The private medical establishments should not be only for ‘only profit’ but also render service to the public, he felt.

The Committee has been asked to submit report in eight weeks. The committee has been instructed to peruse and submit a report to carry out the corrections to the Legislation.

The committee comprised of members consisting of qualified and experienced senior doctors/officers in Government service/ retired officers/health activists/expert private hospitals representatives and who are protesting against the private institutions and demerits of the system in view of public interest.