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Updated March 27th, 2023 at 20:29 IST

Private doctors in Rajasthan take out rally in protest against Right to Health Bill

Private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan have been shut for several days due to a strike of private doctors, leading to a rush of patients in government hospitals.

Rajasthan
Image: PTI | Image:self
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Private doctors protesting against the Rajasthan Right to Heath Bill took out a massive rally in Jaipur on Monday in a show of strength and to press their demand for its withdrawal, and threatened that their hospitals will not be part of any state healthcare scheme in the future.

Thousands of doctors, their family members and people associated with the medical profession, including medical store owners, took part in the rally which started from the resident doctors hostel ground of the SMS Hospital and passed through several parts of the city.

Private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan have been shut for several days due to a strike of private doctors, leading to a rush of patients in government hospitals.

Medical services in government hospitals were also affected as doctors across the state boycotted work for two hours in solidarity with the protesting private doctors.

The protesting doctors say that the bill, which was passed by the Assembly last week, will increase bureaucratic interference in their functioning and insisted on its withdrawal.

Dr Vijay Kapoor, the secretary of an association of private hospitals and nursing homes, said a decision was taken unanimously in a meeting after the rally on Monday that all the private hospitals of the state will not work in any scheme of the state government in the future.

The decision was taken to mount pressure on the state government to withdraw the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, which stipulates that every resident of the state will have the right to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment" at any "public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres".

The state government currently runs two schemes -- the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme for the general public and the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme for state employees and pensioners -- under which reimbursements against treatment in private hospitals are made by it according to rules and entitlement.

Chief Secretary Usha Sharma and senior state officials held a meeting with a delegation of the agitating private hospital operators on Sunday and assured them to hold a discussion on their suggestions regarding the bill.

However, the doctors were adamant and said any discussion would be possible only after the bill was withdrawn.

The bill was passed following the recommendations by a select committee.

Before the bill was amended following recommendations by a select committee, the draft mentioned "any health care provider, establishment or facility, including private provider, establishment or facility, public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres, qualified".

According to the amended bill that was passed, "designated health care centres" mean health care centres as prescribed in the rules, which are yet to be framed.

Health Minister Parsadi Lal has asserted that the bill will not be withdrawn because all the suggestions given by the doctors have been incorporated in the bill and dubbed their demand unjustified.

"The doctors are agitating and in such a situation, if punitive action is taken against the resident doctors or government doctors involved in the strike, then the resentment will increase further," Dr. Vijay Kapoor said. 

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Published March 27th, 2023 at 20:29 IST

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