RTH Bill protest: IMA's Rajasthan unit for national bandh

Jaipur: As people requiring medical care continue to suffer across the state due to the doctors' strike against the Right to Health (RTH) Bill, which entered its 15th day on Sunday, the Rajasthan branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) appealed to its national office-bearers to support the strike and announce a one-day national bandh of healthcare services to pressurise the state government to roll back the Bill.

"We are in touch with our (IMA) headquarters and urging them to keep a bandh for a day across the country. We have also asked them to send a team of observers to the state to pressurize the government on the RTH Bill," said Dr Sunil Chugh, the president of IMA's Rajasthan branch. The state IMA's has been trying to resolve the issues concerning the Bill and holding dialogue with the state government on the points of objections from the doctors.

IMA's Haryana branch has extended support to the strike by doctors in Rajasthan, said Dr Chugh. "They have announced a daylong bandh on April 4 in Haryana in solidarity with us," he said, adding that the IMA headquarters would soon write to Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra expressing its objections on the RTH Bill.

The protesting doctors plan to take out a 'maha rally' in Jaipur against the Bill on April 4. They have already started a campaign to make the rally a major event.

On Sunday, doctors along with their relatives took out a rally against the Bill in Jaipur even as the statewide complete medical bandh continued for 15 consecutive days. In the morning, doctors along with their children and families reached JMA Auditorium and took put a procession to Teen Murti Circle. The children had placards in their hands with the words "Our parents are doctors, not robbers".

Resident doctors of medical colleges also continued their strike on Sunday. Demonstrations by doctors' organisations were held in various districts.

The health of Kota's Dr Neelam Khandelwal, who has been on a fast unto death, deteriorated further on Sunday, forcing her to break her fast on the advice of doctors present at her dharna site. She was provided treatment with administering of IV drips and requested by senior doctors, including Dr Virendra Singh, former superintendent of SMS Hospital who is currently president of a private hospital, to break her fast.

"The government has become so insensitive that it did not even take care of Dr Khandelwal who was on a fast unto death," said Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society (PHNHS) secretary Dr Vijay Kapoor. He said 212 private hospitals in Jaipur and many in other districts have given their written consent to discontinue the government's health schemes in their establishments.