Protest against Right to Health Bill: Rajasthan doctors on strike, medical services hit

Jaipur: In protest against the Rajasthan government's proposed Right to Health Bill, Doctors and operators of private hospitals will march towards the state assembly today after the doctors went on a strike yesterday affecting around 300 private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Kota.

It has been reported that around 3,000 doctors from all districts of Rajasthan will march to the state assembly against the bill on Monday and that the movement had received support from many other organisations.

Expressing disappointment, the agitating doctors have declared that they don't want the RTH Bill in any form. therefore, the doctors have staged the protest in different districts to stop the state government from tabling the bill at the state assembly session today.  

Also read- Private Hospitals Suspend Services To Protest Against Right To Health Bill In Rajasthan

The mode of the protest was decided on Sunday in a meeting by the doctors.

Commenting on this, Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society told PTI, “This is an indefinite statewide ‘bandh’ and it will continue until the government withdraws the bill." 

The Rajasthan Right to Health Bill seeks to give the residents of the state the right to avail free healthcare services from hospitals, clinics and laboratories. This will include private establishments as well.

Medical services at private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan were affected on Sunday after doctors went on a strike against the state government’s proposed Right to Health Bill.

Responding to a call for a strike by the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, members of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society and the United Private Clinics and Hospitals of Rajasthan stopped services from Saturday night.

However, the pre-arrangement of the strike started on Saturday night which affected many hospitals clinics and nursing homes in Kota as it remained shut for outdoor patients, emergency services and fresh admissions.

The closure of private facilities led to a 40 per cent rise in the patient load in the government-run MBS Hospital. The striking doctors and healthcare professionals staged a demonstration at Vigyan Nagar and raised slogans against the state government and the proposed legislation.

The protest will continue until the government gives a written assurance that the proposed law will not be implemented, said Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, the president of the United Private Clinics and Hospital Association of Kota.

The protesting doctors said the proposed bill would gradually eliminate private hospitals, take away from doctors the right to earn livelihood and deprive the public from round-the-clock medical and health facility, said Dr Kewal Krishan Dang of a private hospital who was present in the demonstration.

Due to the strike by private healthcare professionals, outdoor and emergency services were affected and there were no fresh admissions. However, patients already undergoing treatment in these hospitals were unaffected by the strike.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) decided to join the strike on Saturday evening. 

Superintendent of MBS Hospital Dr Dinesh Verma said they witnessed a rise in the patient load by around 40 per cent on Saturday and added that adequate arrangements were made to ensure seamless services.

Different medical associations have also extended their support to the agitating doctors regarding the matter. 

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