Rajasthan doctors call off Right to Health Act protests after agreement with government

After nearly two weeks of demonstrations, doctors in Rajasthan called off their protests against the Right to Health Bill on Tuesday as the government agreed to make changes in the law that will put most private hospitals outside its purview.

The protests had started soon after Rajasthan passed the Right to Health Bill on March 21, causing it to become the first state in India to make access to healthcare a legal right. The major point of contention in the law was a provision that made it mandatory for public and private hospitals to offer emergency treatment to patients without any prepayment.

Even though the Act stated the government will reimburse the hospitals, the protestors argued there was no clarity on how or when they will be repaid.

On Tuesday, as the doctors gathered in Jaipur to continue their protest, the medical secretary of Rajasthan agreed to dilute the law. Under the amended provisions, all private medical establishments other than those built in public-private partnerships, or have received subsidy or land from the government, have been exempted from the law.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted that a consensus has been reached between the government and the doctors. “I hope that the doctor-patient relationship will remain the same in...

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