Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), Rajasthan strongly condemned the statement made by Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar in the state assembly on Thursday about the fate of the Right to Health (RTH) Act.
In response to a question in the House, the health minister had said, “There is no need for a Right to Health (RTH) Act in the state as free health services are already being provided under schemes such as the MAA Yojana and other schemes.
The NGO asserted that equating the Right to Health Act with free services reflects a serious misunderstanding of the law and its intent. It explained in a communique that the Act is not limited to the provision of free treatment; rather, it establishes a rights-based, legally enforceable framework to ensure accountability, transparency, and protection of patients.
The Health Minister’s stance ignored several core provisions of the Right to Health Act, the NGO observed in the release.
JSA Rajasthan emphasised that government schemes are policy decisions that can be modified, restricted, or withdrawn at any time, whereas a law guarantees entitlements that citizens can legally claim. Free services without enforceable rights do not protect patients from denial of care, arbitrary referrals, or exploitation, issues that remain widespread across Rajasthan.
In a state where citizens continue to face refusal for treatment, arbitrary charging by private hospitals, lack of accountability during medical emergencies, and absence of effective grievance redressal, to declare the Right to Health Act as unnecessary is to turn a blind eye to ground realities.
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Rajasthan urges the State Government and the Health Minister to withdraw the statement in reference, that the Minister made today in the House. The NGO also demanded immediate framing of the rules and notified them to operationalise immediately.