Rajasthan: Doctors, govt arrive at consensus over RTH Act
What's the story
The state government and doctors in Rajasthan have arrived at a consensus on the Right to Health (RTH) Act, CM Ashok Gehlot informed on Tuesday. Notably, thousands of doctors, including Indian Medical Association (IMA) Haryana unit members, held a massive rally earlier in the day against the Bill, which was passed on March 21. The agitating doctors were demanding the rollback of the Bill.
Twitter Post
Check out Rajasthan CM Gehlot's statement
मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि राइट टू हेल्थ पर सरकार व डॉक्टर्स के बीच अंततः सहमति बनी एवं राजस्थान राइट टू हेल्थ लागू करने वाला देश का पहला राज्य बना है।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) April 4, 2023
मुझे आशा है कि आगे भी डॉक्टर-पेशेंट रिलेशनशिप पूर्ववत यथावत रहेगी।#RightToHealth
Law
What does the RTH Act say?
With the recently passed Bill, Rajasthan became the first state to provide every citizen the right to free health care at all public and private facilities in the state in case they are unable to bear the treatment cost. However, the agitating doctors claim that the Bill was ill-prepared and neglected the practical realities of providing healthcare services.
More information
Bill violates Minimum Wages Act: Doctors
The doctors also argued that the provision violates the Minimum Wages Act, under which a private worker cannot be forced to work without pay. The Bill states that those violating the healthcare provisions will be fined up to Rs. 10,000 in the first instance and up to Rs. 25,000 subsequently. They claimed the Bill doesn't state how and when the hospitals will be reimbursed.
Agreement
Doctors have agreed to these three conditions
As per India Today, the doctors have agreed to three conditions, one of which says that only those hospitals helped by the government will implement the Act in phase one. Furthermore, hospitals with fewer than 50 beds will not implement the Act, and if any amendment has to be made, two representatives of the IMA will be included in it.