Impasse between doctors and Rajasthan govt ends after 16 days

Jaipur, April 4 (IANS) The impasse between the Rajasthan government and doctors, who were on strike for 16 days against the Right to Health bill, ended on Tuesday as both sides came to an agreement.

Consensus was reached between doctors and the government on eight demands on the Right to Health (RTH) Bill at a meeting of a doctors' delegation with Chief Secretary Usha Sharma.

In the meeting, Principal Secretary, Medical Education, T. Ravikanth and the representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), United Private Clinics' & Hospitals' Association of Rajasthan (UPCHAR) and Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society (PHNS) discussed and agreed on various points.

According to the agreement, private multi-specialty hospitals having less than 50 beds will be kept out of the purview of this law in the first phase of its implementation. The law will also not be binding on those private hospitals that have not taken any concession from the government or any rebate in allotment of land for the hospital. As per the agreement, this law will be implemented in private medical colleges and hospitals, hospitals running on PPP mode, those hospitals that have been allotted land free of cost or on subsidised rates, and hospitals run by a trust that got land on concession or subsidised rates.

It was also agreed to consider the regularisation of hospitals functioning in different places in the state as per the 'Kota Model', under which relaxation in building rules will be considered for those hospitals that are functioning in residential premises.

Also, police cases and other cases registered during the agitation will be withdrawn. It will be considered to bring a single window system for licenses and other approvals. Similarly, giving fire NOC to private hospitals every five years will be considered. Along with this, it was also agreed that changes in the rules in the Right to Health law would be made in consultation with the representatives of the IMA.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot welcomed the end of this deadlock, saying: "I am happy that finally an agreement has been reached between the government and the doctors and Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to implement Right to Health.

"I hope that the doctor-patient relationship will remain the same in future as well."

Gehlot said that the state government's objective to bring in the Right to Health bill was that no one should suffer due to lack of treatment, and expressed satisfaction that the doctors fraternity agreed to the proposals put forth by the state government regarding Right to Health.

He said that all the people of the state have extended their cooperation to the state government in the favour of the bill and have welcomed this pro-people bill. "Now the doctors agreeing to this important bill is a good sign," he added, expressing hope that all doctors will immediately join their duty and that private and government hospitals will make the Right to Health, and schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana and RGHS successful.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the way private and government hospitals had set an example with excellent management of Covid, they will similarly successfully implement these schemes on the ground and present the 'Rajasthan Model of Public Health'.