Doctors Protest Against 'Right To Health Bill' In Rajasthan

As the bill is set to be discussed in the Assembly, it received backlash from the doctors running private clinics. They claim it will increase "bureaucratic interference" over them.

As the doctors protesting against the Right to Health Bill tried to march towards the Rajasthan state assembly, the police used water cannons to disperse them. The bill was scheduled to be discussed on Tuesday.

The Right to Health bill will enable residents of the state to avail free healthcare services not just from hospitals, but also clinics, including private establishments.

As the bill is set to be discussed in the Assembly, it received backlash from the doctors running private clinics. They claim it will increase "bureaucratic interference" over them.

On Monday, a delegation of five doctors met with the health minister in the Assembly and demanded the withdrawal of the bill. Prior to this, they also staged a protest at the statue circle, demanding the withdrawal of the bill.

The doctors were anticipating a response from the government, and due to no further development, they started marching towards the Assembly on Tuesday.

The Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, members of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society and the United Private Clinics and Hospitals of Rajasthan carry out these protests. Moreover, doctors running their own private hospitals and nursing homes are also part of it. The doctors claimed that with this bill, the condition of private hospitals will transform and become similar to that of government-run hospitals.

They further claimed that the doctor-patient relationship will be affected, district and state level committees will harass private doctors and the quality of treatment in private hospitals will be affected.