Rajasthan's Right to Health Bill [UPSC Current Affairs]

The Rajasthan Right to Health Bill  2022, was introduced in the state legislative assembly by the Rajasthan State government in September 2022. It is still a topic of discussion in the legislative body and is now widely discussed in public by both health care professionals and other interest groups. This is an important topic for the IAS exam.

Rajasthan’s Right to Health Bill in News:

• In 1996, the Supreme Court ruled that the Right to Life (Article 21) encompassed the right to health and the state government’s duty to provide health care. Hospitals and pharmacies are included in the State List’s definition of public health and sanitation under the Constitution.
• The Charter of Patient Rights was created by the National Commission on Human Rights in 2018 for state governments to implement.
• Rajasthan has programs in place to guarantee access to healthcare. More than 1,550 public and private hospitals in Rajasthan offer health care through the Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana. Insurance coverage is offered under the yojana for specific types of medical care.
• On September 22, 2022, the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, 2022, was introduced in the Rajasthan Assembly. It aims to guarantee the defense and realization of egalitarian rights to health and well-being. The Bill has been sent to a Select Committee led by Mr. Parsadi Lal Meena, Minister of Health and Medical Services.

Rights and Duties prescribed in the Bill:

• The government’s aims are made apparent in the Bill’s preamble, which promotes health care without leading to expensive out-of-pocket costs.
• We see the values of equity, justice, and good conscience reflected in the twenty rights set down for state citizens in the Bill, as they were previously viewed by the Supreme Court in the judgement mentioned earlier.
• The Law makes surgery available in both public and private hospitals, as well as free and affordable health checkups. Residents now have a right to utilise the complimentary services outlined in various insurance plans.
• While this goes a long way towards codifying what was previously seen as merely expectations, the state now bears responsibility for giving residents access to quality medical care.
• The Bill goes one step further by addressing the right to medical information in healthcare facilities, which is another contentious issue. The legislation grants residents the right to inquire about the diagnosis and treatment The Bill also changes the nature of all such information to make it confidential.
• Additionally, the Bill has given healthcare professionals rights like immunity from liability for true acts, a secure workplace, and access to protective equipment.
• The Bill attempts to balance the counterclaims that would have made the implementation of a Right to Health Act difficult by granting rights and obligations to both groups of stakeholders.
• Health care providers would not be hindered in performing their duties while citizens had sufficient incentives and protection to seek medical care and information about it.
• This balance of rights and obligations, if adhered to in other jurisdictions, can aid in building a strong health infrastructure and raising levels of general public health.

Way forward : 

• While some features of the Bill still need to be clarified based on rules and regulations that will be announced later, the government’s overarching goal of providing accessible healthcare to all citizens appears to be apparent.
• With the exception of a few questionable clauses, like the one banning court jurisdiction, the Bill seems to be a great place to start when it comes to making the right to health a more concrete and attainable basic right.

Rajasthan’s Right to Health Bill:- Download PDF Here