The doctors protesting against the Right to Health Bill passed by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the Rajasthan Assembly last week took out a massive rally here on Monday due to which the medical services across the city remained affected.
As per the provisions of the Right to Health Bill, every resident of the state gets the right to avail free Out Patient Department services and In Patient Department services in all public healthcare facilities apart from getting similar healthcare services free of cost at select private facilities.
The bill was passed last week despite protests by the opposition BJP, besides an agitation by a section of doctors seeking the legislation's withdrawal.
On Monday, the doctors took out a foot march from SMS Medical College at around 11 a.m. The rally passed through several areas of the city to eventually culminate at the medical college, covering a distance of 4.5 km.
Earlier on Sunday, a meeting of the doctors' delegation was held with Chief Secretary Usha Sharma but it ended without any conclusion.
Meanwhile, people continued running from pillar to post to seek medical services.
Resident doctors are still on strike in hospitals attached to government medical colleges in Jaipur and other cities of the state.
As resident doctors have been on strike for more than 7 days, the problems of the patients in Jaipur's SMS and other hospitals are continuously increasing.
Meanwhile, the Health Department has sought information from all districts regarding the status of the hospitals' operations.
The Police Commissionerate in Jaipur has also sought similar details about the hospitals operating in the area.
Further, fear of action has started troubling the doctors who came out on the streets to protest the Right to Health Bill.
There is a fear that the government may harass them through a police case.
Secretary of Private Hospital and Nursing Society Dr. Vijay Kapoor said that the government should not put any kind of pressure on the resident doctors and other doctors who are supporting the doctors' agitation.
"If the government takes any action against these doctors, the protest will intensify," he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
