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.

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.

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.