Private hospitals suspend services to protest against Right to Health Bill in Rajasthan

Jaipur: In an ongoing conflict between the Rajasthan government and its medical fraternity over the proposed "Right to Health Bill," doctors have taken a firm stance against the proposed bill by holding a street demonstration and declaring a 24-hour strike on February 11, demanding some amendment in the bill. 

Following this, the medical professionals, including the hospitals, boycotted the emergency health operations for 24 hours starting at 8 AM on Saturday.

As part of the agitation, private hospitals and nursing homes have also boycotted the government's RGHS (Rajasthan Government Health Scheme) and Chiranjeevi Yojana on Saturday.

It came to light that the proposed bill has limited packages for private hospitals against government hospitals under the Chiranjeevi health scheme. The Cheeranjivi Yojana extends affordable health insurance packages to the financially weaker sections of society. Hence, the state government added a clause in the bill which expects private hospitals to provide free treatment to any patients in emergency. 

In response, doctors from different associations along with other private hospitals have raised questions regarding the proposed bill.  They have asked on what grounds they would identify patients in need of emergency treatment since the bill has not explained the term 'emergency' in detail. Therefore, the doctors have strongly refused to provide free treatments to the patients under the Chiranjeevi Yojana since the cost of packages is not feasible.

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However, a meeting with the select committee, formed by the state assembly will be held on February 15 to discuss doctors' concerns in relation to the packages proposed for the private hospitals.

While the bill aims to ensure the rights of the patient to avail quality healthcare at any hospital (private and government), doctors have mainly objected to the clauses that require patients to be treated for any medical emergency free of cost at any hospital.

Taking to social media Indian Medical Association tweeted on Saturday said that they have demanded some amendments in the Bill the IMA stands with members.

“Dr Sharad Agarwal, N.P, IMA visited Kota on 10th Feb and held a press conference on the issue of the proposed "Right to Health Bill." by Rajasthan Government. He demanded amendment in the said Bill. He reassured the IMA members that the IMA stands with them, always,”

The protesting doctors, after the meeting with the Select Committee, said that the government is not ready to listen to them.

The doctors in the protest are determined that the government can bring the bill without them but they will not tolerate it.

Similarly, the Jaipur Medical Association (JMA) on Sunday pointed out that the government has included limited packages for private hospitals but kept many of those for government hospitals.

Private hospitals and doctors have been opposing certain provisions in the bill, such as patients in emergency should get treatment without prior payment of necessary fees or charges. The doctors said they have not mentioned what ‘emergency’ means.

JMA president Dr Tarun Ojha told TOI, that they will continue to protest and boycott the scheme until a solution has been reached by the government.

JMA secretary Dr Anurag Sharma said “The bill has lots of provisions which are not in favour of doctors. The government is willing to bring the Right to Health Act but amendments in the bill are not the solution. We don’t want the bill to be tabled in the state assembly.”

Medical Dialogues team earlier reported the issue in January that why the doctors are opposing the move. The "Right to Health Bill" that was proposed by the Rajasthan Government to ensure that the residents of the State can avail treatment at any hospital has made the medical fraternity in the State furious who are strictly opposing the bill terming it to be draconian and illogical.

Several Clauses of the bill have been pointed out by the doctors claiming that it lacks clarity and wants to delimit the powers of doctors. While several private hospitals have already kept their OPDs shut, now the doctors have given an ultimatum to the State saying that they will intensify their protest if the bill is not amended.

Gehlot declared on Republic Day this year that the state government will bring the Right to Health Bill to the state.

“We have a public welfare government in Rajasthan. We will now be bringing the Right to Health Bill. The BJP is opposing the bill to please the private sector. But our government is not against the private sector. We will make laws by taking everyone together,” he added.

On January 12, while addressing a public meeting, CM Gehlot also claimed that he had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government’s Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme should be implemented in the whole country.

Also read- Right To Health Bill In Rajasthan: Here Is Why Doctors Are Opposing The Move