Doctors’ protest: Satish Poonia urges Gehlot to talk to medical fraternity

Jaipur, March 28 (IANS) Former Rajasthan BJP President Satish Poonia has written to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, urging the latter to solve the impasse created by doctors protesting against the Right to Health Bill passed in the Assembly by voice vote on March 21.

The Bill gives every resident of the state the right to emergency treatment and care ‘without prepayment of requisite fee or charges’ by any public health institution, healthcare establishment (including private ones) and designated healthcare centres. Private doctors are demanding withdrawal of the Bill as they fear it will increase bureaucratic interference in their work.

OPD services will remain closed in Rajasthan on Wednesday due to the doctors’ ongoing protest against the Right to Health Bill.

Poonia wrote in his letter that healthcare is a round-the-clock service, adding that the state government should not act with arrogance but try to find a solution to end the deadlock.

The government did not try to understand the problems being faced by the doctors due to which the situation is turning worse each passing day, Poonia said, adding that Gehlot must hold talks with the agitating doctors.

Poonia also said that Gehlot will definitely do branding that he was the first to implement the Right to Health Bill in the country, but he should have looked into all the aspects before the passing of the Bill.

The government has to balance both sides keeping in mind the interest of the public as well as that of the medical fraternity. But the government has completely failed in doing this, Poonia said.

Poonia also said that despite the passage of the Right to Health Bill in the Assembly, doctors at private hospitals are on strike for the last few days. As a result, the common people of the state are facing difficulty in accessing healthcare services.

In support of the doctors of the private hospitals, the All India Institute of Serving Doctors has decided to go on mass leave on Wednesday.

“As you are aware that in the first and second wave of the Covid pandemic, the medical community had risked their lives to serve the society. That’s why I request you to coordinate with the doctors keeping in view the convenience of the public and work to find a proper and quick solution so that the common people of Rajasthan can get some relief,” Poonia said.

–IANS

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