The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed by a voice vote the Right to Health Bill-2023, a first of its kind in the country, to provide treatment to patients under emergency situations in private hospitals. The move came amidst agitation against the new legislation by private doctors outside the Vidhan Sabha.

Defending against the objection of major Opposition BJP, Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said the bill will ensure availability, accessibility, equity and quality of comprehensive free healthcare services to patients in the state in emergency situations as described in the draft bill.

The bill, which went through a select committee for amendments and suggestions of experts, professionals from Indian Medical Association, and 15 MLAs cutting across party lines finalised the bill and its report was tabled in the House yesterday, Meena said, adding the select committee held six meetings to include every clarification and suggestions in the final draft.

The IMA delegation, which met him yesterday to withdraw the bill, the minister said, it was not possible and it would be an insult to the entire House. The accidental emergency’s bill would be paid either by the patient through his health cards like Cheeranjeevi, RGHS, and if not then the state government would bear the cost of treatment, he claimed.

On the persistent demand of the Opposition to make a relaxation while selecting the hospital’s status, the Minister said the legislation would be applicable to the Multi-speciality Hospitals having at least 50-bed facility, and this clause would be annexed when the act’s rules would be framed. After hearing the assurance, the BJP dropped the warning to stage a stormy walkout in the House.

The minister termed the private doctors’ agitation outside the assembly premises ‘unwanted’ because the select committee was represented and attended by the medical experts.

The RTH is brought to make it compulsory for the private hospitals to take care of emergency patients, especially those who have MukhyaMantri Chiranjiv Card, with a cash limit of Rs 25 lakh for serious diseases, he said, adding till now the private hospitals were neglecting the Chiranjiv card beneficiaries on one or other pretext.

“If a private hospital does not hand over the body of a patient who died during treatment demanding to make huge payment/bills from the attendants, the new legislation would not allow them,” he stressed.

According to the bill, the accidental emergency is defined as: any unforeseen, unexpected or unintentional occurrence of an event which results in the risk of death or injury to any person and includes road, rail, water and air accidents.

Every resident in Rajasthan will have a series of rights to his health including the right to adequate information about the nature, cause of illness, proposed investigation and care, expected results of treatment, possible complications and expected costs.

Earlier in the day, thousands of doctors and para-medical staff of private hospitals protested at the Statue Circle where the police did not allow them to move towards Vidhan Sabha by restorting to mild lathicharge and water cannons.

On yesterday’s atrocities on the protesting doctors, Rajasthan Medical Teachers Association and Resident Doctors went on a day’s strike today and participated in the stir and vidhan sabha gherao, jostling and thrashed by a melee at Statue Circle, IMA Media Chairman Dr Sanjeev Gupta told SNS. After passage of the bill, the doctors started a sit-in at the same venue, he added.