On Saturday, the doctors in Rajasthan took to the streets and warned the government to take their opinion before presenting the Right to Health bill in the Legislative Assembly.
Jaipur,UPDATED: Feb 12, 2023 13:26 IST
Demonstrations held in cities across Rajasthan to demand the withdrawal of the bill (Photo: India Today)
By Sharat Kumar: The Ashok Gehlot government is facing a big challenge in implementing the Right to Health bill as private doctors have opposed it vehemently, suspending health services in hospitals in Rajasthan. Private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan have suspended services in a protest against the state government’s proposed Right to Health Bill.
On Saturday, the doctors took to the streets and warned the government to take their opinion before presenting this bill in the Legislative Assembly. Health Minister Nebar Parsadilal Meena said the government will pass the bill under any circumstances.
As part of the agitation, private hospitals and nursing homes have also decided to boycott the government’s RGHS (Rajasthan Government Health Scheme) and Chiranjeevi Yojana from Saturday. Cheeranjivi Yojana extends affordable health insurance packages to the financially weaker sections of society.
WHAT DOES THE BILL SAY?
If the Right to Health bill is passed, then private hospitals can’t deny free treatment in case of an emergency.
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.
Experssing apprehensions over the bill, they said, “Government should answer who will give us the money?”
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“If the government gives us money, then how will it give us? If patients do, then what is the guarantee that we will get the money on time,” they asked.
“Every patient will come for free treatment citing emergency cases. On what grounds should it be decided what emergency means,” doctors asked.
Out of 1,100 private hospitals in Rajasthan, about 888 hospitals have registered for free treatment under Chiranjeevi Yojana and they have suspended their services. Even doctors of government hospitals also halted health services to show solidarity with the doctors of private hospitals.
PROTESTS INTENSIFY IN RAJASTHAN
Demonstrations were held in cities across the state, including the capital Jaipur, to demand the withdrawal of the bill. They also protested against the state’s ambitious Cheeranjivi Health Scheme, reported PTI.
Joint Action Committee Chairman Dr Sunil Chughav and RIMA’s media in-charge Dr Sanjeev Gupta said that there is no need for Right to Health Bill in the state as people are already getting free treatment and medicines.
Private Hospital and Nursing Home Society Secretary Vijay Kapoor said the services were suspended on the call of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is spearheading the protest.
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He said JAC’s representatives had gone to discuss the bill with the select committee of the Rajasthan Assembly when the government’s non-negotiable stand to bring this bill became clear to them.
But the JAC decided that “we do not accept this bill.” Kapoor said that
If the government does not withdraw the bill, the movement will be strengthened and sustained, he said.
In the last assembly session in September, the state government introduced the ‘Rajasthan Right to Health Bill’ to establish legal rights and entitlement of citizens to avail the best of health services. It was sent to the Select Committee.
(With PTI inputs)
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