Rajasthan becomes first state to implement 'Right to Health', consensus reached between govt, doctors

Jaipur: After weeks of protest, finally an agreement was reached between the protesting doctors and the Rajasthan government on the issue of the 'Right to Health' bill on Tuesday, making the state, the first in the country to implement such a bill.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to Twitter to inform that an agreement has been reached and Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to implement 'Right to Health'. "I am happy that finally an agreement has been reached between the government and the doctors on the 'Right to Health', and Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to implement the 'Right to Health'. I hope that the doctor-patient relationship will remain the same in future as well. #RightToHealth," Ashok Gehlot said on Twitter.

Notably, Rajasthan on March 21, passed the Right to Health Bill, which gives every resident of the state the right to avail of free Out Patient Department (OPD) services and In-Patient Department (IPD) services at all public health facilities, becoming the first state to do so.
However, the private hospitals and doctors in Rajasthan seemed to be wary of it and were protesting against the bill through a work boycott urging the state government not to implement it.
The Rajasthan government and the doctors reached an agreement on eight demands. The doctors' body will be attending a general body meeting in the auditorium at 4 pm, where they will make the formal announcement regarding the agreement.
An official notification regarding the bill will also be released soon after approval by the governor.
A consensus has been made between the government and the doctors on eight major demands.
The major points of the agreement are the fact that the RTH bill will not be fully applicable in private hospitals, and the cases filed during the movement will be withdrawn.
Speaking to ANI about the consensus between the government and the doctors, Dr Vijay Kapoor, the Secretary of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society told ANI, "The government has agreed to all our demands. This agreement has been done without any pressure, whatever we wanted, those demands have been agreed upon. This is a big victory for private hospitals"
"The RTH bill will be applicable to private medical colleges, and hospital PPP mode. The bill will be applicable to hospitals taking land at concessional rates from the government, trust hospitals. In addition to this, the cases filed during the movement will be withdrawn. The Fire NOC will be renewed every 5 years. Any changes to the rules will be made after consultation with two representatives of the IMA. Billing at concessional rates will also be kept outside the RTH Act," he added.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan CM was scheduled to arrive in Rajasthan for attending a programme, but now there is a change in the schedule. However, the CM Office has not disclosed any specifications regarding the same. (ANI)