<p class="title">A 17-year-old girl died and thousands of patients across the state were turned away after private hospitals suspended their out-patient department services on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They were protesting against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shabana, a resident of Chambol in Bidar taluk, was bitten by a snake while working in the fields. She was rushed to a private hospital which refused to treat her.</p>.<p class="bodytext">She died while she was being shifted to the district hospital, medical superintendent Dr Vijay Antappanavar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least 60,000 private doctors from 40,000 medical establishments across the state have declared their support for the protest against the government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The protest is backed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shabana's parents said their daughter died as she was not given treatment on time.</p>.<p class="Interline">Patients angry</p>.<p class="bodytext">Private hospitals wore a deserted look on Friday with few doctors and paramedical staff attending to in-patient and emergency cases.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pre-scheduled appointments were rescheduled, while thousands of other patients who walked in were turned away.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This angered patients who entered into heated arguments with hospital staff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Several hospitals displayed notices about the closure of out-patient services. However, diagnostic services were available.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Hospitals are not accepting any patients. We have sent people to check how many hospitals are working and we have received a positive response," said Dr Veeranna B, secretary, Indian Medical Association, Karnataka.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr R Ravindra, secretary of the Private hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) said that hospitals have not denied any emergencies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to a press release by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, there were more patients in government hospitals than usual. It stated that around 20% to 25% more patients turned up in the government hospitals.</p>.<p>This, however, was denied by one of the senior doctors at Victoria Hospital, who said that they had a normal flow of out-patients. Various other organisations fighting for people's right to health conducted a press conference on Friday condemning the protest of the private medical establishments.<br /><br />Members from 15 different organisations said that private medical establishments, by opposing the bill, is misrepresenting and distorting several aspects of the bill.<br /><br />"Their demand to scrap the grievance redressal committee is unjustified," said Vinay Srinivasa from Alternate Law Forum, which was part of the press conference.</p>.<p>Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar said that he had no information about the strike by members of the IMA as it had not served any notice on him or the state government.<br /><br />He said the draft of the amendment to the KPME Act had been discussed with all stakeholders before tabling it in the Assembly.<br /><br />The IMA, too, was furnished with a draft and it had expressed its satisfaction in the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.<br /><br />The bill will come up for discussion in the winter session to be held at Belagavi and approval will be given for the formation of complaints redressal committee, he added.</p>
<p class="title">A 17-year-old girl died and thousands of patients across the state were turned away after private hospitals suspended their out-patient department services on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They were protesting against the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shabana, a resident of Chambol in Bidar taluk, was bitten by a snake while working in the fields. She was rushed to a private hospital which refused to treat her.</p>.<p class="bodytext">She died while she was being shifted to the district hospital, medical superintendent Dr Vijay Antappanavar said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At least 60,000 private doctors from 40,000 medical establishments across the state have declared their support for the protest against the government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The protest is backed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shabana's parents said their daughter died as she was not given treatment on time.</p>.<p class="Interline">Patients angry</p>.<p class="bodytext">Private hospitals wore a deserted look on Friday with few doctors and paramedical staff attending to in-patient and emergency cases.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pre-scheduled appointments were rescheduled, while thousands of other patients who walked in were turned away.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This angered patients who entered into heated arguments with hospital staff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Several hospitals displayed notices about the closure of out-patient services. However, diagnostic services were available.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Hospitals are not accepting any patients. We have sent people to check how many hospitals are working and we have received a positive response," said Dr Veeranna B, secretary, Indian Medical Association, Karnataka.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Dr R Ravindra, secretary of the Private hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) said that hospitals have not denied any emergencies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">According to a press release by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, there were more patients in government hospitals than usual. It stated that around 20% to 25% more patients turned up in the government hospitals.</p>.<p>This, however, was denied by one of the senior doctors at Victoria Hospital, who said that they had a normal flow of out-patients. Various other organisations fighting for people's right to health conducted a press conference on Friday condemning the protest of the private medical establishments.<br /><br />Members from 15 different organisations said that private medical establishments, by opposing the bill, is misrepresenting and distorting several aspects of the bill.<br /><br />"Their demand to scrap the grievance redressal committee is unjustified," said Vinay Srinivasa from Alternate Law Forum, which was part of the press conference.</p>.<p>Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar said that he had no information about the strike by members of the IMA as it had not served any notice on him or the state government.<br /><br />He said the draft of the amendment to the KPME Act had been discussed with all stakeholders before tabling it in the Assembly.<br /><br />The IMA, too, was furnished with a draft and it had expressed its satisfaction in the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.<br /><br />The bill will come up for discussion in the winter session to be held at Belagavi and approval will be given for the formation of complaints redressal committee, he added.</p>