Amid protests, Rajasthan becomes first State to pass Right to Health Bill

Doctors and paramedical staff of private hospitals and nursing homes have been protesting against the Bill, saying its ‘draconian provisions’ would stifle the private health sector

Amid a strong protest by the agitating private doctors, the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday passed the Right to Health Bill with the provision for mandatory free-of-cost emergency treatment for every resident of the State at both the government hospitals and the privately-run institutions. With this, Rajasthan has become the first and the only State in the country to legislate the right to health.

The Bill, which was tabled in the Assembly on September 22 last year and was later referred to a Select Committee, was passed by voice vote in the House. The Bill gives every resident of the State the right to emergency treatment care “without prepayment of requisite fee or charges” by any public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres.

Medical and Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said during a two-hour-long debate on the Bill that it was major welfare step aimed at protecting the interests of the public. Mr. Meena said the State government would reimburse the expenses to the health care provider if a patient was unable to pay the requisite charges after emergency care, stabilisation and referral.

The doctors and paramedical staff of private hospitals and nursing homes have been protesting against the Bill, saying its “draconian provisions” would stifle the private health sector. The agitating doctors said the amendments suggested by them to the Select Committee were not carried out and the Bill had made it mandatory to provide free treatment without defining an emergency.

While the doctors clashed with the police at Statue Circle near the State Assembly, the health care services across the State were adversely affected, as the private hospitals remained closed for the second consecutive day. Police used water cannons to disperse the agitating doctors, even as the medicos in government hospitals boycotted work for two hours as a symbolic gesture of support.

Mr. Meena said the private doctors’ demand for withdrawal of the Bill was not justified, as it had been amended based on several of the suggestions submitted by them. The ruling Congress had made a promise to legislate the right to health in its manifesto for the 2018 Assembly election and the delay in bringing the law had caused a serious concern among the health activists.

The Minister pointed out that the State government had allotted land to several big hospitals on concessional rates and affirmed that they were duty-bound to provide treatment to all the patients.