22 Mar 2023 • According to the provisions of the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, 2022, which was passed by the state assembly on Tuesday(21 Mar), every resident will have the right to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment" at any "public/private health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres". The state government will compensate these hospitals for treatment provided for emergencies.

The bill, which levies fines on doctors and hospitals violating its provisions, has been source of major dismay between doctors and the Gehlot government in Rajasthan in the run up to the Assembly elections scheduled for later this year. The doctors shared concerns that the Right to Health Bill, which the government claims is meant to bring expensive medical treatments within the reach of economically weaker sections, will lead to deterioration of the quality of health services and bring additional pressure on doctors.

In the original bill, accident emergency, designated healthcare centre, emergency, emergency care, emergency obstetric care, primary treatment, stabilisation and transfer and transport were not defined. The definitions were added in the revised Bill -

"We have kept only three emergency categories in the RTH Bill - animal bite, snake bite and accident emergency. Besides, in the revised bill, we have incorporated the suggestion that if a patient does not pay the requisite charges for treatment in emergencies, the hospital is entitled to receive the same from the state government," health minister Meena said.

Source: TOI Read full story