Private doctors call off strike as Rajasthan govt agrees to key demands

Private doctors in Rajasthan on Tuesday ended their 17-day strike over the Right to Health Bill after the state government agreed to their key demands including keeping unaided private hospitals outside the ambit of the proposed law.

The doctors' bodies said that the two sides reached consensus during talks with the state government agreeing to keep private hospitals that have not availed land at subsidised rates or other benefits from it outside the ambit of the proposed law.

Besides, in the first phase of implementing the proposed law, private multi-speciality hospitals with less than 50 beds will be kept out of its purview, according to the agreement.

Among other provisions, the recently passed Bill allows people to get emergency treatment from all government and designated private hospitals without payment. The government is expected to reimburse the private hospital for this.

"An agreement with the government has been made. Private hospitals that have not taken subsidy from th