Rajasthan clears Right to Health Bill amid protests

The people of Rajasthan will be entitled to emergency care in private hospitals without any prepayment, and if they are unable to pay the bill, the government will reimburse the hospitals, according to the Rajasthan Right to Health (RTH) Bill 2022 passed by the state assembly on Tuesday, amid protests by private doctors and hospitals.

Rajasthan is the first state to bring such a law, claimed state health secretary Dr Prithvi, who uses only first name.

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State health minister Parsadi Lal Meena said the government is committed to providing healthcare facilities to the people of the state and the bill is in the interest of the public, adding that there have been complaints that some private hospitals do not treat patients under the state’s Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme, thereby necessitating the new law.

The bill, which levies fines on doctors and hospitals violating its provisions, has been opposed by private hospitals and doctors. A delegation of private doctors also met governor Kalraj Mishra, demanding the withdrawal of the bill.

“We appealed to the governor not to sign the bill and send it back to the government for a rethink. We hope the bill will be delayed by a few months, so that the elections will be declared and it will not be implemented,” Dr Ashok Sharda, former president of Indian Medical Association, Rajasthan, said.

Meena said all suggestions of doctors have been incorporated in the bill, which was sent to a select committee too. “Doctors are agitating despite the fact that their suggestions have been accepted. This is not justified. They are demanding withdrawal of the bill, is it justified?” he asked.

The doctors from private healthcare centres have been protesting against the bill for the past few months. Private hospital owners and doctors from Rajasthan took to the streets of Jaipur on Monday, demanding withdrawal of the “draconian” Right to Health Bill . The police dispersed them with a lathi charge. On Tuesday, police used water cannons after they tried to break the barricades.

The house passed the bill by a voice vote.

The bill was introduced in the assembly in September last year but it was sent to a select committee. After the committee submitted its report, the bill was amended .

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Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore said: “We want the RTH (bill) to come but in a practical manner, and all stakeholders should be taken together.”

He suggested that RTH be applied to hospitals of a certain size – with at least 50 beds, for instance.

Earlier in the day, condemning police action on protesting doctors, the opposition BJP staged a walkout during the zero hour. The house also witnessed eviction of CPI MLA Girdhari Lal by marshals.

“The police baton-charged on doctors is condemnable, even women were beaten. They weren’t heard properly. The incident should be probed,” Rathore said in the house.