The Rajasthan Right to Health Act : A Step towards Universal Healthcare : Daily Current Affairs

Date: 03/04/2023

Relevance: GS-2: Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, and Human Resources.

Key Phrases: Maternal Mortality Rate, The infant mortality rate, Rajasthan Right to Health Act, out-of-pocket expenditure, civil society groups, Select Committee.

Context:

  • The Rajasthan Right to Health Act (RTH), 2023, passed recently has become the first-of-its-kind law in India.
  • The Act aims to provide better healthcare to the people of Rajasthan, which has one of the largest populations in India.

Do you Know?

  • Life expectancy at birth increased to 69.6 years in 2020, from the expected 47.7 years in 1970.
  • (Maternal Mortality Rate )MMR declined from 301 to 130 per 100 000 live births between 2003 and 2014-16, and
  • (The infant mortality rate )IMR declined from 68 in the year 2000 to 24 per 1000 live births in 2016.

Key Features of The Act:

  • Guaranteeing the right to health:
    • The Act fills a significant void in the healthcare sector of India, where citizens already enjoy the right to food, education, employment, and information, but no right to health.
  • Minimizing out-of-pocket expenditure:
    • The Act aims to minimize out-of-pocket expenditure (OoPE) on health, which is one of the primary reasons people slip into poverty.
    • Despite several provisions and schemes introduced by the government, citizens continued to bear a significant percentage of the health expenditure as per the National Health Accounts 2018-19 released in 2022.
    • Out-of-pocket expenses are one of the primary reasons people slip into poverty.
    • According to NSSO estimates for the year 2011-12, nearly 2.9 million people slid into poverty every year.
  • Reduction in morbidities and preventable mortalities:
    • The Act aims to reduce morbidities and preventable mortalities in the state.
  • Obligating government to ensure health services:
    • The Act obligates the government to ensure health services as needed by citizens.
  • Entitlements for citizens:
    • The Act provides entitlements to citizens, which means that a breach or non-availability of services would be tantamount to a violation.
  • The significant role of civil society groups:
    • Civil society groups, including Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Rajasthan, had a major role in pushing for this Act.
  • Select Committee of legislators:
    • The Bill was referred to a Select Committee of legislators to seek more input and suggest amendments.
  • Ensuring universal healthcare:
    • The passing of this Act is a step towards universal healthcare, which is essential for the development of a country.

Challenges Associated:

  • Implementation:
    • The success of the Act depends on its effective implementation.
    • The government needs to ensure that the provisions of the Act are implemented efficiently and effectively.
  • Adequate resources:
    • The Act requires significant financial resources to be effective.
    • The government needs to ensure that adequate funds are allocated for the implementation of the Act.
  • Resistance from stakeholders:
    • The Act has faced resistance from doctors and their associations, who have expressed concerns about inadequate representation of doctors and over-regulation of the health sector.
  • Monitoring and accountability:
    • The government needs to ensure that the implementation of the Act is monitored effectively and that the healthcare providers are held accountable for providing quality healthcare services to the citizens.
  • Awareness and outreach:
    • The success of the Act also depends on creating awareness among the citizens about their right to health and the services that are available to them.
    • The government needs to undertake extensive outreach programs to create awareness among the citizens.

Potential impact on the healthcare sector in India:

  • Universal healthcare: The Act is a significant step towards achieving universal healthcare, which is essential for the development of a country. It ensures that every citizen has access to quality healthcare services, irrespective of their financial status.
  • Example for other states: The passing of this Act could serve as an example for other states to emulate, leading to a positive impact on the overall health sector of India.
  • Addressing healthcare disparities: The Act aims to address healthcare disparities by ensuring equitable access to healthcare services for all citizens of Rajasthan, regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, or caste.

Conclusion:

  • The passing of the Rajasthan Right to Health Act is a significant milestone towards providing better healthcare to the people of Rajasthan and could serve as an example for other states to follow.
  • The Act obligates the government to ensure health services as needed by citizens and aims to minimize out-of-pocket expenditure on health, which is one of the primary reasons people slip into poverty.
  • The Act is a crucial step towards achieving universal healthcare, which is vital for a country's development.
  • It ensures that every citizen has access to quality healthcare services, irrespective of their financial status.
  • It is hoped that this Act will bring positive changes to the healthcare system of India and improve the lives of its citizens.

Source: The Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. The Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2023 is a significant milestone towards providing better healthcare to the people of Rajasthan. Discuss the key highlights of this Act and its potential impact on the healthcare sector in India.