In a first, Rajasthan plans Right to Health; govt to foot bill

The Rajasthan government is planning to bring a Right to Health Bill in the state with an aim to provide quality and affordable health care services through government and private healthcare providers. The first of its kind, the Right to Health Bill is on the lines of the right to food and education laws brought by the Centre over the last decade.

The Congress, which had promised the bill in the election manifesto ahead of the 2018 assembly polls, had soon after coming to power held discussions on the proposal. However, the COVID pandemic caused the process to stall.

After the pandemic, the Ashok Gehlot government carried forward the process and in March this year, published a draft bill, inviting feedback from stakeholders. “The draft bill has been prepared and we are seeking suggestions and opinions of people, non-government organisations, and others on it,” a senior medical and health department official was quoted as saying in the Business Standard.

The draft bill defines the rights of patients, attendants and health care providers, as well as a system for addressing grievances of the stakeholders.

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It proposes to hold the government accountable for providing affordable and easily accessible healthcare for all citizens. It  promises free consultation, drugs, diagnostics and emergency care at all government hospitals to Rajasthan’s 80 million people.

Experts have lauded the move, saying the Rajasthan government has shown the political will to go ahead with the bill, which has provisions to hold the government accountable for providing health care services.

However, some pointed out that the bill was quite vague and failed to mention the specifics. It also seems to have given a free hand to private hospitals.

Although Rajasthan was ranked 16th among states and Union territories as per the Niti Aayog Health Index, it envisions providing affordable and accessible primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities to all the people.

In the 2022-23 Rajasthan budget, Gehlot announced that the health insurance cover would be doubled for all the people and allocated Rs 3,137 crore for healthcare in this financial year.