Rajasthan CM appeals to doctors to end protest against Right to Health Bill

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday appealed to doctors agitating against the Right to Health Bill passed by the Assembly earlier this week to end their protest.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to hold a meeting with the protesting doctors Saturday night in a bid to end their protest.

Gehlot said the interests of the doctors have been taken care of in the bill and that their agitation is not justified.

The doctors running their hospitals and clinics have expressed apprehension that the bill will increase bureaucratic interference in their functioning and have demanded its withdrawal.

Meanwhile, doctors took out a protest rally in Jaipur on Saturday.

 

According to the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, passed by the Assembly on Tuesday, 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".

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.