The protest of private doctors against the Rajasthan government’s ‘Right to Health Bill’ continued even on Tuesday in Jaipur as the state failed to comment on the matter. The Police used water cannons to disperse the private doctors as they led the protest towards the state assembly.
Earlier in the day, the Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. The doctors said that the cops tore their clothing to pieces and mistreated the female doctors. More than 2,400 owners of private hospitals across the state began the protest on the streets on Monday.
At first, doctors, health professionals, and hospital administrators met at the Jaipur Medical Association auditorium at SMS Hospital to voice their objections to the Draft Bill. At about midday, the physicians departed the SMS Hospital and arrived at Statue Circle in front of Central Park on March 20.
However, at approximately 1:00 pm, the police stopped the protesters close to Statue Circle, causing a confrontation between the two sides. Reportedly, the doctors alleged that the police engaged in a physical altercation with them, but the police claimed that the protesters had become violent owing to which they had to resort to the lathi charge.
The Right to Health Bill, which seeks to guarantee citizens’ legal rights and entitlements to the finest healthcare, was one of the poll pledges made by Congress for the 2018 state elections. From the bill’s introduction in the assembly in September 2022, it has encountered opposition, among other things because it mandates free emergency care. The present budget session has not yet resulted in its passage.
The protesting doctors stated that the bill fails to define ’emergency’ while it promises free emergency treatment. They also have raised concerns over the payment or reimbursement model as per the bill. The doctors have to pay the staff, and nurses and also have to look after the maintenance of the medical tools and equipment. “If we go on treating patients free of cost, who is going to reimburse the amount?” one of the doctors was quoted as saying.
The Bill nowhere specifies if the state will reimburse private clinical establishments for providing such free services. This may violate Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade, or business.
Meanwhile, the Police action was criticized by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) which said that the police bandobast was not enough to match the crowds of doctors at the rally. The PUCL also urged the doctors to withdraw the protest claiming that the group of leaders from the joint action committee had met with the administration and government representatives and almost every disagreement was resolved.
As reported earlier, almost 300 private hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in Kota remained closed for outdoor patients, emergency services, and new admissions as a result of the closure of private institutions, causing a 40% increase in patient volume at the government-run MBS Hospital in Kota.