Civil society groups laud Rajasthan's ‘Right to Health’ law

Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), a network of civil society organisations affiliated to the global People’s Health Movement (PHM) that works on health and related rights, has welcomed the Rajasthan Right to Health Act passed in the State Legislative Assembly on 21st March 2023.

Terming it an important milestone in the history of health policy in India, JSA said Rajasthan has initiated the process of making basic health services a justiciable right, based on providing a legal guarantee of public health services and emergency healthcare in the state.

The India chapter of PHA downplayed the criticism levelled by several stakeholders, including doctors and private hospitals and said their call to withdraw the Act was a “politically motivated demand”.

However, JSA sought more clarity on several provisions in the Act to ensure its optimally effective implementation. “Greater clarity and specificity are required regarding the definition of “emergency care”, keeping in view the complexities of emergency management, and the limited set of first aid measures which can be offered by most healthcare providers Larger private hospitals (those having over 50 beds) should have broader provisions for providing emergency services, while smaller health care providers and clinics should have restricted obligations in this regard, in keeping with their limited capacities The Act should ensure that reimbursement to private providers for providing emergency healthcare would be transparent, hassle-free, corruption free and time-bound,” VR Raman, co-ordinator, JSA National Secretariat said.

The civil society body also wanted the Rajasthan state government to substantially increase its health budget, to provide the substantial additional resources, which must accompany the expansion and strengthening of public health services in the state, required for fulfilling all the provisions under this Act. It also called for strengthening mechanisms to ensure accountability of regulatory authorities to people as well as involved healthcare providers.

It wanted the state government to make necessary clarifications to address the misinformation campaign against this law, build the trust of all constituencies and uphold Rajasthan as a model state in achieving health rights for all.

JSA asked the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to withdraw agitations aimed at pulling down the Act itself, and positively engage with the government to support the rolling out of the Act and its Rules.