Plea in Rajasthan HC seeks strict action against striking doctors

Jaipur: The High Court of Rajasthan will consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) tomorrow against the striking doctors in the State, who have boycotted their work as a sign of their protest against the recently passed Right to Health Bill.

Filing the PIL, lawyer Pramod Singh has sought a direction to the State Government for taking strict action against the doctors on strike and to declare Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) for maintaining health services.

Apart from this, the plea also sought cancellation of the licence or registration of doctors and it also sought to revoke the recognition of private diagnostic centres participating on the strike.

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.

Also Read: Will Listen to Doctors but won't take back Bill: Raj CM on Right to Health Bill as Doctors continue protest

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. Amidst the complete shutdown of medical services in Rajasthan by private and government doctors, the State passed the bill in the Assembly last week.

Even though the State Assembly has now passed this controversial bill, the doctors are not ready to accept defeat and they are continuing their protest against the controversial Health Act demanding the withdrawal of the same. The private doctors in Rajasthan have been maintaining the complete shutdown of medical services throughout the State for the last few days. The medical services in the State became further crippled on Wednesday after the government doctors and faculty members in medical colleges joined a one-day strike to express their solidarity for the agitating private doctors.

Recently, a PIL has been filed before the Rajasthan High Court seeking a direction to the State government for taking strict action against the striking doctors, reports the Times of India.

The petitioner in the PIL, lawyer Pramod Singh has made the Chief Secretary, Secretaries of Medical and Health, Medical Education, National Medical Commission, Indian Medical Association, Rajasthan Medical Council and around 15 doctors leading the agitation as the respondents in the case.

It has been stated in the plea that the State is facing a healthcare crisis as a result of the strike by the doctors and it is causing loss of life and irreparable damage to people. The matter has been listed for hearing at the High Court on March 31, 2023.

Meanwhile, the private doctors are continuing their strike in Rajasthan and the strike entered its 13th day on Thursday. Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary of the private hospitals and nursing homes society, told PTI that there are nearly 2,400 private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan, including nearly 500 in Jaipur alone.

"Seventy per cent of service in the medical and health sector is rendered by the private sector. Due to the strike of private doctors, patients are going to other states. No OPD and no emergency is functional in private hospitals," he said.

A health department official said to handle the workload, arrangements are being made in government hospitals. Nearly 300 junior resident doctors have been selected through walk-in interviews in the two days on Tuesday and Wednesday while 700 more junior resident doctors will be selected soon.

"This will help in easing pressure in government hospitals attached to the medical colleges. The government has its own big infrastructure and it was strengthened during the Covid period," the official said.

Also Read: Right to Health Bill Protest: Over 50,000 doctors, paramedical personnel join rally in Rajasthan