Latest news with #KarnatakaPrivateMedicalEstablishments
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Health Department caps price of Influenza panel and COVID tests at ₹1,700
Following complaints of private laboratories and hospitals charging exorbitantly for Influenza panel and COVID tests, the State Health Department has capped the price for these tests at ₹1,700. A government order to this effect was issued on Thursday. This fixed rate will apply to tests to detect all viral infections, including COVID-19, carried out by private medical institutions, hospitals, and laboratories in the State. 'This is an all-time price cap and not just during an outbreak or surge,' said Harsh Gupta, principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare. 'It has come to light that some private medical institutions and laboratories in the State have been collecting throat swab samples even for ordinary fevers and conducting tests using 'Influenza Panel' kits, charging between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 for such tests. The price cap follows several complaints from people regarding this,' he said. If any laboratory or hospital charges more than the fixed rate, action will be taken under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act. Medical institutions have also been instructed to mandatorily record SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) and ILI (Influenza-like Illness) cases under the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP), he said.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Bills related to abolition of child marriages, regulation of private ambulance, gig workers' welfare to be tabled in Monsoon Session
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the Karnataka Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to criminalise the engagement of a child (betrothal), which was not punishable earlier. The Bill envisages stringent action against those involved in a child's betrothal and marriage. Under the law, all legislators, leaders, and elders involved in a child's engagement and marriage would be punished, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Among other decisions, it was decided that the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill, 2025, would be brought in to regulate private ambulance service providers. The Bill will be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the legislature. The Bill also envisages registration of mobile health clinics run by private medical institutions. Gig workers' Bill The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, will also tabled during the session. It would replace an Ordinance promulgated to create a welfare fund for platform-based gig workers and place obligations on aggregators. The government had taken the Ordinance route to implement the welfare provisions. The Cabinet cleared the Bill in April, 2025, but it took the Ordinance route since the State legislature was not in session. It emphasises the rights of gig workers, proposes a welfare fee of 1% to 5% of the payout to the worker during each transaction. All such fees received would go to the welfare fund for the workers. It is estimated that there are 2.3 lakh gig workers in Karnataka. It was decided to upgrade the Allipura Gram Panchayat as a town panchayat in Chickballapur district. The Sulekere tank in Maddur taluk in Mandya will be developed at a cost of ₹47.75 crore, Mr. Patil said. The Cabinet approved ₹52 crore for developing right and left bank canals of Madaga-Masur tank in Rattihalli taluk Haveri district. A sum of ₹74 crore was approved for implementing the scheme to lift water from Nagamangala Branch Canal near Muddanahally to fill 18 tanks in Hirisave hobli of Channarayapatna Taluk for drinking water purposes. The Cabinet approved ₹880.68 crore for the purchase of medicines and other medical requirements of public health hospitals/utilities in Karnataka. A total of 46 prisoners serving life sentence would be prematurely released from prisons in the State. The life convicts would be released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill conduct, Mr. Patil said. For Sanketh Trust The Cabinet permitted Sanketh Trust, a non-profit trust established in 1992, to pay 10% of the annual contract value for the site measuring 1350.5 square meters. The trust administers Ranga Shankara, with Arundhathi Nag as its managing trustee.
