In news- The Rajasthan Assembly has recently passed the Right to Health (RTH), even as doctors continued their protest against the Bill, demanding its complete withdrawal.
What are key features of the bill?
- It gives every resident of the state the right to avail free Out Patient Department (OPD) services and In Patient Department (IPD) services at all public health facilities and select private facilities.
- The free healthcare services, including consultation, drugs, diagnostics, emergency transport, procedure and emergency care, will be provided subject to conditions specified in the rules, which will be formulated now.
- Also, all residents will be entitled to emergency treatment and care without prepayment of any fee or charges, and the hospital can’t delay treatment on grounds of police clearance if it is a medico-legal case.
- The legislation says that after emergency care, stabilisation and transfer of patient, if patient does not pay requisite charges, the healthcare provider shall be entitled to receive requisite fee and charges or proper reimbursement from the state government.
- The Bill extends a total of 20 Rights to the citizens of the state.
- As per the Bill, anyone found in contravention of the Act will be punishable with a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for the first contravention, and up to Rs 25,000 for the subsequent contraventions. However, many have pointed out that the penalty may be too low for hospitals.
- One of the most contentious issues of the RTH was emergency care, leading to protests by doctors.
- After being changed by the Select Committee, the clause that was eventually passed recently states that people will have the right to emergency treatment and care for accidental emergency, emergency due to snake bite/animal bite and any other emergency decided by the State Health Authority under prescribed emergency circumstances.
- Importantly, this can be availed without prepayment of requisite fee or charges for prompt and necessary emergency medical treatment and critical care, emergency obstetric treatment and care, by any public or private health institution qualified to provide such care or treatment according to their level of health care.
Source: The Indian Express
