Rajasthan on Tuesday became the first state in the country to pass the Right to Health Bill to provide free emergency and affordable medical services in government hospitals and private hospitals.
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the bill amid strong opposition from the opposition BJP. Private hospital operators and doctors are also opposing the bill, alleging that it does not provide a clear definition of emergency and its scope, which may result in an increase in the number of patients seeking free treatment.
Rajasthan is now the first state to establish and protect the legal rights of patients to access equitable health services. The bill also has a provision to strengthen the public health system. In the House, Health and Medical Minister Parsadi Lal Meena made it clear that the hospitals, which have got land from the government at subsidized rates, will be brought under the Right to Health and Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme.
(Tags to translate) Rajasthan (T) Healthcare (T) Emergency Care
