BELAGAVI: A political slugfest broke out over the doctors' strike with CM Siddaramaiah accusing the BJP of putting patients to hardship by instigating private hospital managements and doctors to continue the strike.A miffed Siddaramaiah told the legislative council on Thursday: "The BJP is responsible for the continuation of doctors' stir and the death of patients. We had held discussions with the doctors' fraternity and they had relented, but the BJP has provoked them to continue the agitation. The BJP is using the doctors' strike for political gain."Siddaramaiah's outburst was in the backdrop of the comments made by BJP leader KS Eshwarappa who blamed the CM and health minister KR Ramesh Kumar for failing to resolve the doctors' strike which resulted in the death of more than 25 patients across the state in the past four days. Eshwarappa said that Siddaramaiah and Kumar were responsible for 25 deaths and the lack of understanding between them was proving to be a disaster.However, the Congress members retorted and alleged that the doctors were forced to continue their strike owing to pressure from the BJP leaders. "We had told the doctors that the bill will be reviewed. We do not understand why they are protesting and compounding the woes of poor patients," the CM said.The doctors' strike rocked the assembly too with the BJP leaders demanding that the government set aside its ego and hold talks with the doctors. Defending the bill, KR Ramesh Kumar said: "We are not against doctors or the medical profession or medical institutions. We are ready to hear them. But we are serious about healthcare being affordable to all." The BJP members, however, staged a walkout and sat on a dharna outside Suvarna Vidhana Soudha demanding that doctors' interests should also be protected.The JD(S) opposed the KPMEA bill stating that there were several shortcomings in it. Former PM and party chief HD Deve Gowda suggested the Congress not to act in haste. The party leaders did not approve jail term for erring doctors.Hitting back the two parties, the Congress later stated that the orginal Karnataka Private Establishments Act 2007, which provides for up three years imprisonment for a person who runs a medical establishment without registration, was passed during the JD(S)-BJP government headed by HD Kumaraswamy . The Act was brought into effect through a notification in 2009 when BS Yeddyurappa was the chief minister.

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