Right To Health Bill Protest escalates with complete medical shutdown in Rajasthan, Police use water cannons on doctors

Jaipur: The protest against the proposed Right to Health Bill in Rajasthan has now escalated further as the entire medical fraternity of the State- including the doctors and residents belonging to the government medical colleges have given a call for a complete shutdown of medical services for the first time in history.

Raising slogans such as 'No to Right to Health", the protesting doctors gathered today at the statue circle near the assembly. Resident doctors belonging to Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) and doctors associated with Rajasthan Medical College Teachers Association have also come forward and joined the protesting doctors at the Statue Circle and a given a call for a complete shutdown of medical services.

Meanwhile, amidst the criticism surrounding the incident of lathi charge yesterday, Police again used force today and tried to push the doctors using water cannons, one of the doctors who was present at the protest site informed Medical Dialogues. "We were at the statue circle near the assembly protesting peacefully. However, police forcefully pushed us by using water cannons," said the doctor.

Soon the video of the police attack started circulating on the social media platforms. Slamming the Government authorities for the brutal attack on the doctors by the police personnel, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has demanded immediate action against responsible officials and warned to initiate a Nation wide protest.

"Doctors were brutally beaten by Police Officials of @RajCMO @ashokgehlot51 despit being on peaceful protest by them ! We warm Rajasthan Govt if No action being taken against Police Officials we will be forced to do Nation wide protest!" FAIMA mentioned in a Tweet.

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.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that as a symbol of protest against the Bill, the doctors had decided to march towards the State Assembly on Monday. However, police used force and lathi charge to stop the doctors from reaching the assembly, where the bill is scheduled to be tabled. This enraged the entire medical fraternity. Previously while speaking to Medical Dialogues, the president of Jaipur Medical Association had mentioned that government doctors also decided to support the protesting doctors and further decisions would be taken after a meeting by the government doctors.

Complete Medical Shutdown: 

In their emergency meeting on March 20, the doctors under Rajasthan Medical College Teachers Association decided to extend their support to the protesting doctors and gave a call for complete shutdown for two hours on March 21.

The resident doctors under Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) also announced their decision for a complete shutdown and blamed the Government for the same.

Speaking about the this, the former president of JARD, Dr. Amit Yadav told Medical Dialogues, "For the first time in history, Rajasthan is witnessing complete medical shutdown since not even a single private hospital, clinic or government medical college is offering medical services. Even emergency services have been suspended. All the resident doctors are on the road to join the protest."

Commenting on the Right to Health Bill, he added, "The Government should withdraw the bill and stop trying to implement it by force. This will worsen the doctor patient relationship in future. Before taking any decision, the Government should discuss the issue with the representatives from the medical fraternity and listen to their objections."

Support from Medical Fraternity Across Country: 

Medical fraternity across the country have extended their support to the protesting doctors in Rajasthan. Issuing a Press Release in this regard, FAIMA mentioned, "Federation of All India Medical Association strongly condemns the brutal attack and stands in full support to the doctors of Rajasthan to withdraw the RTH bill with immediate effect."

In another Tweet, FAIMA demanded immediate action on the police officials responsible for the brutal attack on doctors and threatened to initiate nation wide protest.

Posting the videos of police attack on protesting doctors, president of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) questioned in a Tweet why the authorities are silent on the matter.

Resident doctors from PGI Chandigarh have also extended their support and issuing a press release in this regard, the Association of Resident Doctors of the Institute mentioned, "In another case of extremely poor policymaking, the Rajasthan Government proposed the "Right to Health Bill" to ensure that people in the State will be given protection and fulfillment of equitable rights in health and well-being. But according to some experts, the document is weak and lacks an implementation timeframe and some of its details overlap provisions in the existing document."

"ARD PGI Chandigarh strongly condemns the brutal attack and stands in full support to the doctors of Rajasthan to withdraw the RTH bill with immediate effect," further read the release.

Also Read: Why is there a fuss over the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill?