JAIPUR: Rajasthan on Tuesday became the first state in the country to pass the Right to Health Bill in order to provide free emergency and affordable medical services at government hospitals and privately-run establishments.
The Rajasthan Assembly passed the Bill amid strong opposition by the opposition BJP. Private hospital operators and doctors are also opposed to the Bill, alleging that it does not provide a clear definition of emergency and its scope, which could result in a surge of patients seeking free treatment.
Rajasthan is now the first state to establish and protect the legal rights of patients to access equitable healthcare services. The Bill also provides for strengthening the public healthcare system.
In the House, Medical and Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena made it clear that all hospitals which have got land from the government at subsidised rates would be brought under the purview of the Right to Health and Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme.