Rajasthan right to health act, 2022: The idea, implementation, and the journey so far
- Common Cause: Policy Oriented Journal Since 1982
- 42(4), Oct-Dec, 2023: p.15-18
This article examines the Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022, situating it within broader debates on health policy and governance in India. The Act was designed to guarantee citizens the right to free healthcare services in public and designated private institutions, marking a significant step toward universal health coverage. However, its journey has been fraught with challenges. While the law was passed under the previous Congress government, subsequent developments have seen delays in rule-making, contested implementation, and political controversy. Social groups have pressed for immediate rollout, emphasizing its importance for marginalized communities, yet the current government has hinted at scrapping or subsuming it under existing schemes, sparking uproar in the Assembly. Critics argue that without clear rules and accountability mechanisms, the Act risks remaining symbolic rather than transformative. By analyzing legislative debates, stakeholder perspectives, and governance hurdles, the paper underscores both the promise and the perils of embedding the right to health in statutory frameworks, highlighting the need for sustained political will and institutional clarity. The private sector hospitality to the act had begun to build up in the state. – Reproduced
Public Administration, Rajasthan Right to Health Act 2022, Health Policy, Governance, Implementation Challenges, Poverty, Healthcare Access, Legislative Debate, Accountability, India