Tonk/Jaipur: On February 12, Surja, a 26-year-old daily wage worker, took her father, Kalu Ram, to Agarwal Hospital, a private facility In Tonk district of Rajasthan. The 56-year-old tuberculosis patient was extremely weak and was struggling to breathe.
“We Idea He will die,” Surja, the eldest of three daughters from a Scheduled Caste family, told ThePrint.
armed with family mass base card, he didn’t think twice before quitting his job to go to his father. Her family is among the 3.2 million beneficiaries Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme, a state government scheme Launched in 2021 to provide health insurance to economically weaker sections,
In his budget speech last week, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had also announced to increase the annual cover amount from Rs 10 lakh per family to Rs 25 lakh.
But Kalu Ram was refused Free critical care treatment under the scheme. instead, Surja paid over Rs 30,000 between 12 and 20 for his treatment on 15 February,
Surja’s debt is increasing with each passing day like Rajasthan’s debt private medical association The boycott of government schemes continues in protest against the Right to Health Bill. This has affected patients like Kalu Ram, whose families are either forced to pay more than they can afford or go without treatment.
Right to Health Bill – which seeks to establish the legal rights and entitlements of citizens to avail the best healthcare services – was one of the poll promises of the Congress for the 2018 state elections. The bill was introduced in the assembly September 2022 and facing bad weather since thenDue to the provision of mandatory free emergency treatment, among other reasons. It is yet to be passed in the current budget session.
Speaking to ThePrint, Dr Surendra Agarwal, owner of Tonk Hospital, expressed his helplessness in not admitting anyone under the Chiranjeevi scheme in the light of state-wide protests by hospitals.
The ward where Surja’s father is admitted had only nine patients on 15 February. The day ThePrint met him, One of the busiest hospitals in Tonk, the second floor of this hospital used to have 250 patients daily. Said Dr. Aggarwal. Within a week, daily attendance of 40-50 patients in each of the four hospital As per the data shared by the hospital, the number of general wards has come down to 9-10.
ThePrint met Dr Prithvi Raj, secretary, Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, on Friday, but he declined to comment on the ongoing protests as well as the Right to Health Bill.
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meetings, delays
Private doctors describe the Bill of Rights to Health as draconian, while civil society groups have questioned earlier protests against it. in a joint statement earlier this weekMore than 100 civil society organizations expressed Shocked that doctors are trying to stall a bill which is an important constitutional right.
State coordinator of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Rajasthan, Chhaya Pacholi said, “Doctors have a right to protest, but the way they are denying health services under Chiranjeevi is not right.”
He said private doctors were trying to create an impression that the bill was being brought to regulate the private sector, but 90 per cent of the content of the bill was about strengthening the public health system. “The private sector is essentially trying to create a narrative that this Bill is useless and unnecessary. It’s very confusing,” she said.
The opposition cannot publicly condemn the bill aimed at providing healthcare to the poor. The government is in talks with a 34-member Joint Action Committee (JAC) constituted by various medical associations, such as Indian Medical Association (IMA) – Rajasthan Chapter and United Private Clinics and Hospitals Association of Rajasthan (UPCHAR), a representative body of over 1,000 private hospitals.
The last such meeting was held on February 11 where four members of the JAC met the assembly Standing Committee has 18 members including Rajasthan Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena and Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The two-hour long meeting remained inconclusive, infuriating the doctors. The next meeting has been scheduled for March 3.
“Though initially we completely opposed the bill, in the end we demanded some amendments in it. But our objections have not been resolved,” said Dr. Sunil Kumar rained, who runs Dana Shiva, a heart and super specialty hospital in Jaipur, and was part of the JAC delegation at the meeting.
“No option left,” Dr. Garca said, he demanded Statewide boycott on 11 February
According to information shared by UPCHAR with ThePrint, There are 1,700 private hospitals under them. were open on 12 February but the emergency service under both Chiranjeevi and Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) It has been closed for almost a week now.
“The bill was prepared with mala fide intention. They want to create problems for private doctors who are meeting 70% of the state’s medical needs Garsa was added.
‘Define emergency, provide reimbursement’
Doctors claim that although Bill promises free emergency treatment, It does not define emergency. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined emergency, but the Bill leaves (out) the word ‘trauma’ and refers only to emergency. Headache for a patient is also an emergency,” said Tonk’s Dr. Agarwal told ThePrint.
“There’s nothing (in the bill) Regarding reimbursement or payment. We are ready to treat everyone free of cost, but who will reimburse the amount? How will we pay the staff, nurses and doctors?” He asked.
But the biggest cause for concern is the proposed setting up of District Health Authorities and State Health Authorities – whose members will be people’s representatives.
bar in jurisdiction The 14-page draft Bill, a copy of which is with ThePrint, says, “No civil court shall have jurisdiction to try any suit or proceeding in respect of any matter which may be brought before the State Health Authority or the District Health Authority Authority, as the case may be. constituted under this Act is empowered by or under this Act to determine.
it means that The courts shall have no jurisdiction. As the bill states that the three pradhans and the district head will also be part of the district health authority, the doctors fear that they may be harassed, threatened or blackmailed by the members.
“Anybody can come to inspect us, threaten us, blackmail us by saying that he is connected to Pradhan, Pramukh or Zilla Parishad. Are you going to do violence on us? asked a doctor from Jhunjhunu.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)