Rajasthan Doctors Strike: CM Ashok Gehlot Steps In; Urges Medics To End Protest

JODHPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday appealed to doctors protesting against Right to Health Bill that the government is ready to listen to doctors. "I would again like to appeal that government is ready to listen to doctors. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding and the strike must be called off," said the CM. 

"Right to Health bill is in the public interest. We have sorted out all the misunderstandings & have included all the suggestions from doctors. We want both public & private sectors to serve the people of state. We respect all the doctors," further added CM.

Earlier in the day, Cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas had apparently contradicted state`s health minister Parsadi Lal Meena`s statement and said that if necessary, the Rajasthan government will step back amid the ongoing protest by doctors.Private hospitals and doctors in Rajasthan have been protesting against the Right to Health (RTH) bill through a work boycott urging the state government not to implement it.

Rajasthan, last week passed the Right to Health Bill, which gives every resident of the state the right to avail free Out Patient Department (OPD) services and in Patient Department (IPD) services at all public health facilities, becoming the first state to do so. On the other hand, Gehlot also targeted the central government alleging them of doing religious divide. 

"There is a limit to doing Hindu-Muslim politics, how long will the country tolerate such politics, Rahul Gandhi raised questions regarding the Adani case, false allegations of defaming the country in foreign nations were levelled against him and when he tried to give clarification in the Parliament, he was not allowed to answer, he was thrown out of the Parliament in a conspiracy."