Kota (Rajasthan) [India], April 4 : Terming the agreement between the protesting doctors and the Rajasthan government on the 'Right to Health' bill (RTH) as historic, Rajasthan Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena on Tuesday said that it is the victory of the people of the state.
Rajasthan became the first state in the country to implement 'Right to Health' (RTH) bill as after weeks of protest, finally an agreement was reached between the protesting doctors and the state government on RTH.
While addressing a press conference, the Health Minister said, "A Consensus has been made on demands between government and private doctors. This is not the victory of the government, it is the victory of the people of the state."
"This bill will not be withdrawn at any cost. Talks with private doctors have been completed and the government has given a positive stand on the demands. Rajasthan is the first state in the whole country where the RTH bill has been passed."
Lauding the successful agreement between the government and the private doctors, he said, "The government has made an agreement with the doctors and the doctors have been told that the bill won't be taken back. This bill will be applicable to all hospitals (governmet and private). After the passage of this bill, the whole country is looking towards Rajasthan. Now the facility of free medicine, free investigation and free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh has been given to the people of the state."
Expressing the government's intention regarding the RTH bill, the minister said, "Private doctors will soon return to their work after the agreement between the government and the doctors. The government had adopted this path long back. But the private doctors were demanding withdrawal of the bill. That's why even today the government has made it clear. The bill will not be taken back at any cost."
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.
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