Protect private doctors' rights: Indian Medical Association

Ongole (Prakasam district): The members of Indian Medical Association (IMA) Ongole chapter observed 'Black Day' on Monday and attended work by wearing black badge. The doctors are in solidarity with their agitating counterparts in Rajasthan against the Right to Health Bill recently passed in their Assembly and the police lathi-charge on the protesting healthcare professionals.

At a press meet held here on Monday, the IMA doctors of the district chapter explained that the Rajasthan Assembly had passed the Right to Health Bill on March 21, making it the first-ever State to make a law protecting the rights of patients to access equitable healthcare services. 'According to the Act, any patient can avail free healthcare at public health institutions and emergency treatment at government or private hospitals without any prepayment. Private hospitals objected to the sections in the bill and demanded the definition of emergency treatment and the process involved in reimbursement of the expenditure for free treatment. Without addressing the concerns, the government made the law and started to impose it.'

The Indian Medical Association supported the private doctors in Rajasthan and planned a series of protests and demonstrations against the Right to Health Act by the Rajasthan government.

IMA district president Dr Jaladi Mani Babu stated that the Rajasthan government lathi-charged the peacefully agitating healthcare professionals on Monday and condemned the attack. He said it is not acceptable to them to forcefully impose the faulty law, without addressing the concerns. He alleged that the government is not giving any concessions to private hospitals in issuing safety and security permissions or collecting tax in the name of GST and others. He stated that they are in solidarity with the Rajasthan doctors and demanding the Rajasthan government to postpone the implementation of the Right to Health law, until it discusses with the private doctors, IMA and other stakeholders on the concerns, and provide an amicable solution to them in the amendment bill. Private doctors also have rights and will continue the agitation until they are protected, he stated.

IMA district secretary Dr M Ranganath Babu, treasurer Dr J Kishore, Dr M Veeraiah Chowdary, Dr KC Malyadri Naidu, Dr K Hymavathi, Dr H Rohini Kumar, Dr N Nithin and others were present at the press meet.