Right to Health Bill: Face-off continues between Rajasthan govt, agitating doctors

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], March 28 : The faceoff between agitating doctors and the Rajasthan government over the Right to Health (RTH) bill continued on Tuesday with the government adamant on not taking the bill back at any cost.
The ongoing agitation by private doctors, demanding a rollback of the bill, entered the 11th day on Tuesday with work at the private hospitals coming to a standstill.
On Monday, state health minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that the government would not take back the bill at any cost.
"If there's any problem with the bill, then we are ready to hold a discussion but the bill won't be taken back. At any cost, we will not take back the bill," Meena said while talking to ANI.
The agitating medicos, who took a cycle rally on Tuesday to mark their protest, have made it clear that if the Bill is not withdrawn, then their strike will continue.
The protesting medicos demanded to hold direct talks with chief minister Ashok Gehlot to address their grievances.
Dr Vijay Kapoor, Secretary of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society, said that private hospitals have objections to the provision of emergency services in the present form of the bill.
He said that despite so many talks, our issues have not been resolved yet. "Now, direct talks will be held with the Chief Minister. Then this issue will be resolved," Kapoor said.
"After a lot of discussions, the Right to Health bill was brought by our government. People of the state are being benefitted from it. We held discussions and abided by all demands of protesting doctors. CM has appealed to them to come back to work. They are taking undue advantage," Meena further said.
Dr Kapoor said that the Health Minister said that all the views of the doctors have been considered in this bill.
"If it would have been the case, then why would 50,000 doctors agitate on the streets in Jaipur," he added.
The state minister also said that the bill was also sent to a select committee before it was passed.
"If required we will recruit more doctors if protests continue, we will do whatever is required," he added.
Parsadi Lal Meena's reaction came amid the strike of private doctors and hospitals regarding the Right to Health Bill.
Significantly, private hospitals and doctors in Rajasthan have been protesting against the Right to Health (RTH) bill through a work boycott urging the state government not to implement it.
Rajasthan, last week passed the Right to Health Bill, which gives every resident of the state the right to avail free Out Patient Department (OPD) services and In-Patient Department (IPD) services at all public health facilities, becoming the first state to do so.
Also, similar healthcare services will be provided free of cost at select private facilities.
According to the Bill, free healthcare services, including consultation, drugs, diagnostics, emergency transport, procedure and emergency care, will be provided at all public health institutions and select private facilities subject to conditions specified in the rules, which will be formulated now.
Also, all residents will be entitled to emergency treatment and care for accidental emergencies without prepayment of any fee or charges.
In a case of medico-legal nature, the bill says no public or private hospital can delay treatment merely on the grounds of receiving police clearance.
The bill gives a right to the resident of the state to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment of requisite fee or charges" by any public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres.
The Bill was passed amid protests by the opposition BJP, which wanted to bring in certain changes to the provisions, as well as an agitation by a section of doctors.