Rajasthan Right to Health Bill: Police Lathi Charge to Prevent Private Hospital Doctors from reaching Assembly

Jaipur: In an unfortunate turn of events, the private hospital doctors in Rajasthan, who are protesting against the proposed Right to Health Bill, had to face lathi charge in the hands of Police on their way to the assembly on Monday.

Gathering at the office of the Jaipur Medical Association in the morning, the doctors took out a rally raising slogans. However, when the rally reached the Statue Circle, which is around two kilometers away from the State Assembly, Police stopped them using force.

The video of the incident soon became viral on the social media and several medical associations took to the social media to express their solidarity with the protesting doctors.

"Very saddened to share the way #Rajasthan administration is reacting to such a peaceful march of the #doctors at Statue circle today morning ! Kindly take strict action against police officials who assaulted Doctors!" wrote the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA).

Referring to the incident, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) mentioned in a Tweet, "Democracy being torn apart in a gruesome manner."

Also Read: Rajasthan: Doctors strike against government proposed Right to Health Bill

The doctors belonging to private hospitals in Rajasthan have been protesting against the proposed "Right to Health" bill for the last few months. While the Bill was proposed by the Rajasthan Government to ensure that the residents of the State can avail treatment at any hospital, it made the medical fraternity in the State furious as they termed it to be draconian and illogical. Several Clauses of the bill have been pointed out by the doctors under Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society (PHNHS) and Jaipur Medical Association as they claimed that it lacks clarity and wants to delimit the powers of doctors.

Referring to the Bill that aims to ensure the rights of the patient for availing quality healthcare, the doctors have mainly objected to the clauses that requires that patients will be treated for any medical emergency free of cost at both private and government hospitals. The doctors pointed out that the State has not defined what is an emergency and how the cost of such medical expenses will be reimbursed to the private doctors and hospitals.

Apart from this, the doctors under the Jaipur branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also opposed a specific clause of the bill that talks about setting up a separate grievance redressal committee for addressing the complaints by patients.

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

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that protesting against the bill, the doctors and operators of private hospitals went on a strike yesterday affecting around 300 private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in Kota.

It was also decided that around 3,000 doctors from all districts of Rajasthan would march towards the State Assembly where the bill was scheduled to be tabled today. Expressing disappointment, the agitating doctors had declared that they don't want the RTH Bill in any form. 

However, on their way to the Assembly, where the bill was scheduled to be tabled, the doctors were stopped midway and Police used force to stop them from reaching the Assembly.

The issue of doctors being beaten up at the hands of the Police was raised in the Assembly as well by MLA Rajendra Rathore. Referring to the issue how the medical services are hit in the State, he urged the speaker to look into the matter.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Anurag Dhakar, the president of Jaipur Medical Association said, "Until now only private hospital doctors had been protesting against the Right to Bill. But the lathi charge that the peacefully protesting doctors had to face today has included the entire medical fraternity in this issue.

Tomorrow the Government doctors will also hold a meeting in this regard and further actions will be taken after that."

Also Read: Right to Health Bill in Rajasthan: Here is Why Doctors are Opposing the move