Rajasthan: Why private doctors are protesting against Right to Health Bill
A key point of contention is a clause in the Bill that says treatment must be given during emergencies without prior payment
The Ashok Gehlot government’s proposed Right to Health bill is facing major protests in Rajasthan by private doctors. Health services in private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan have been hit as doctors have suspended services in a protest against the state government’s proposed bill.
In the last assembly session in September, the state government had 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.
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As per PRS Legislative Research, an Indian non-profit organisation, the bill provides the right to health and access to healthcare for people in the state. This includes free health care services at any clinical establishment to residents of the state.
Doctors-govt face-off
The doctors took to the streets on Saturday, saying the government should take their views before presenting the bill in the legislative assembly. However, health minister PL Meena said the government was firm and it will pass the bill under any circumstances.
There are reports that even doctors of government hospitals have halted health services to show solidarity with private hospital doctors.
Private hospitals and doctors are protesting against the meaning of ‘emergency’ treatment in the bill. According to the bill, treatment to patients in emergency would be given without prior payment.
Contentious issues
The doctors are asking how exactly ’emergency’ will be defined, saying that every patient will come for free treatment citing emergencies. Expressing apprehensions over the bill, they asked to know how they would get paid.
Private hospitals and nursing homes have also decided to boycott the government’s Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) and Chiranjeevi Yojana, which extends affordable health insurance packages to the financially weaker sections of society. Over 850 private hospitals are registered for free treatment under Chiranjeevi Yojana.
According to PRS, there is no provision for reimbursement to private health establishments for providing free healthcare services and this may make these establishments commercially unviable. This also violates Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, they opine.
Also, implementing the right to health may increase the financial obligation of the state but the bill does not provide for such additional costs.
“Fulfilling all the obligations cast on the state under the Bill would require incremental funds for deployment of human resources, infrastructure development, and public health functions. The Financial Memorandum of the Bill does not mention costs related to any of these factors, or any additional costs from providing free healthcare services to everyone in the state,” PRS says.
Protests intensify
Demonstrations were held in cities across the state, including the capital Jaipur, to demand the withdrawal of the bill. The doctors also protested against the Cheeranjivi Health Scheme, reported PTI.
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. 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.
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The JAC then decided that it will not accept the bill, Kapoor said. If the government does not withdraw the bill, the movement will be strengthened and sustained, he said.
Joint Action Committee Chairman Dr Sunil Chughav said that there was no need for Right to Health Bill in the state as people are already getting free treatment and medicines.
(With agency inputs)
