Protesting against Right to Health Bill, doctors lathicharged in Jaipur

As the police stopped them, the doctors tried to push ahead through the barricades. As the police stood their ground, it led to a clash with doctors, some of whom claimed they were injured in the protest.

Criticising the police action, People’s Union for Civil Liberties said, “It is obvious from videos that the police bandobast was not enough to match the crowds of doctors in the rally. There were no women police at all and amidst the pushing and jostling between the doctors and police, several women doctors were injured.”

“The police unpreparedness is shown by the fact that no water cannons are seen, which is the drill before the use of lathi to push back the crowd. When the rally and route were announced, the Jaipur police should have tried to talk to the doctors rather than engage in pushing, jostling and lathis,” it said.

Later in the day, a delegation of doctors met Health minister Parsadi Lal Meena but the talks remained inconclusive as the doctors insisted that they wouldn’t agree to anything less than the withdrawal of Bill.

Dr Vijay Kapoor, secretary of PHNHS, said that the protest will go on till the Bill is withdrawn.

Following the tabling of the Bill in Assembly in September last year, it was sent to Select Committee amid protests by the private sector, mainly on its provisions around emergency services. PUCL said that “a few days ago, a group of leaders from the joint action committee had met with the administration and government representatives and almost every disagreement was resolved. It is surprising that suddenly the doctors change their mind and come against the Bill. It is also surprising that a section of the government doctors too decide to wear black bands to oppose the Bill,” urging the doctors to withdraw their protest.