Governor Vajubhai Vala has given his assent to the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which proposes to regulate private hospitals, Health and Family Welfare Minister KR Ramesh Kumar said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters Kumar said the provisions of the bill would be implemented in the next 15 days. A diluted form of the bill was passed by the state legislature in Belagavi in November last. Following protests from the private medical fraternity, the government dropped the the clause awarding imprisonment to doctors for medical negligence which was part of the original bill.

Kumar said the objectivea of the legislation was to ensure quality treatment for poor patients in private hospitals.

The bill makes it mandatory for private hospitals to provide emergency treatment without insisting on advance.

KPME bill gets Governor's assent