Rajasthan Right to Health Doctors' Strike 2023: The Facts

On 21 March 2023 the Rajasthan Assembly passed the Right to Health Bill, giving every resident a right to emergency treatment "without prepayment" at public and designated private hospitals. Private doctors, backed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), shut their hospitals and marched in Jaipur. The strike ended on 4 April 2023 when the Ashok Gehlot government agreed to keep most private hospitals out of the law. The Act's rules had still not been notified when the BJP's health minister told the Assembly in February 2026 that they were not needed.

21 Mar 2023Bill passed by voice vote in the Rajasthan Assembly

17 dayslength of the private doctors' strike, per PTI (some reports say 16)

20,000 to 50,000marchers at the 27 March Jaipur rally (The Quint; IMA)

~2,400private hospitals and nursing homes in Rajasthan, per the private hospitals' society

Key takeaways

The Right to Health Bill, passed on 21 March 2023, gives residents emergency care "without prepayment" at public and designated private facilities, with the state reimbursing unpaid charges.
Private doctors objected to a loose definition of emergency, unclear reimbursement and bureaucratic oversight. Police used lathis and water cannons on their marches in Jaipur.
The 4 April deal excluded private hospitals that took no land or subsidies from the state, and multi-speciality hospitals under 50 beds. The Act's rules were still not notified in February 2026.

Background: what the bill provided

The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), a health network, got the idea into the Congress's 2018 manifesto Scroll. Introduced in September 2022, the bill went to a select committee, was amended, and passed by voice vote on 21 March 2023 PTI via Deccan Herald.

The Act as gazetted provides Rajasthan Gazette via PRS:

Free care at public institutions: free OPD and IPD services, drugs, diagnostics and emergency transport at all public health institutions.
Emergency care without prepayment: for accidents, snake or animal bites and "any other emergency decided by State Health Authority", at public institutions, health care establishments and "designated health care centres".
Reimbursement: if a patient does not pay after emergency care, stabilisation and transfer, the provider "shall be entitled to receive requisite fee and charges or proper reimbursement from State Government in prescribed manner".
Grievance authorities: complaints go to the hospital, then after three days to a District Health Authority (30 days to act), then to the State Health Authority.
Penalties: a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for a first knowing contravention and up to Rs 25,000 for later ones.

The Act comes into force on a date the government notifies. The earlier draft had covered "any health care provider, establishment or facility, including private provider"; the passed version said "designated health care centres", to be defined in rules not yet framed PTI via Deccan Herald.

The doctors' objections

Private hospitals had already shut for a day, emergencies included, on 11 February 2023, when their Joint Action Committee said "we do not accept this bill" PTI via Deccan Herald. Their main objections were:

The definition of emergency. IMA president Dr Sharad Kumar Agarwal said "for a patient, even a simple headache is an emergency". Dr Amit Yadav, former president of the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors, said the clause on emergencies "decided by state health authorities" was "not at all clear" The Independent.
Reimbursement. "They are saying that it will be reimbursed but how will this be done is not mentioned anywhere," Dr Yadav said The Independent.
Bureaucratic oversight and penalties. Doctors feared bureaucratic interference ETV Bharat. Senior doctor Virendra Singh said doctors were "scared of penalties" imposed by grievance authorities IANS via National Herald.

Dr Abhay Shukla of JSA, who helped draft the bill, said "95 per cent of the bill relates to the public sector" and the doubts could be settled in the rules The Independent.

Timeline

20 Mar 2023
Lathicharge at Statue Circle
Doctors marching from SMS Hospital to the Assembly were stopped at Statue Circle and police used lathis. Claim · Doctors Doctors said police tore their clothes and misbehaved with women medics. Claim · Police Police said the protesters had turned violent IANS via NewsGram. Another IANS report called it "mild force" IANS via Deccan Herald.
21 Mar 2023
Residents stop work; bill passed
SMS Hospital resident doctors stopped work over the lathicharge IANS via Deccan Herald. Police used water cannons on another march as the Assembly passed the bill ETV Bharat.
25-26 Mar 2023
CM appeals, talks fail
Gehlot appealed to doctors to end the protest PTI via Deccan Herald. After meeting Chief Secretary Usha Sharma, doctors said talks were possible only after withdrawal PTI via Onmanorama.
27 Mar 2023
The big Jaipur rally
The IMA said more than 50,000 medical and paramedical staff marched in Jaipur PTI via Onmanorama. The Quint put the turnout at nearly 20,000 doctors The Quint.
29 Mar 2023
Government doctors' mass leave
Government doctors and medical college faculty went on one-day mass leave, exempting emergencies PTI via Deccan Herald.
4 Apr 2023
Agreement, strike ends
Doctors' bodies and the government signed an eight-point agreement and a planned rally became a "Vijay Rally" PTI via National Herald.

Government and resident doctors join

Dr Shankar Bamnia of the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors' Association said more than 15,000 government doctors would join the 29 March mass leave PTI via Careers360. PTI later reported no major impact, with many returning after two to three hours PTI via Outlook. Resident doctors in Jaipur stayed on strike, though some returned "under pressure from the government", doctors said IANS via National Herald.

The IMA called nationwide protests and a "Black Day" on 28 March The Independent. IMA doctors held a relay hunger strike in Jaipur The Statesman via ANN, and IMA Haryana called a bandh for 4 April Swarajya.

Impact on patients

PTI reported on the strike's 13th day that private hospitals were completely shut, with no OPD and no emergency services. Patients from border divisions went to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi PTI via Outlook. Government hospitals had long queues The Statesman via ANN.

Scale of the shutdown: Dr Vijay Kapoor of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society said Rajasthan had about 2,400 private hospitals and nursing homes. Claim · PHNHS He said the private sector delivers 70% of medical services in the state PTI via Outlook.
State's stopgap: A health official said about 300 junior residents had been hired, with 700 more to follow PTI via Outlook.

No official count of patients affected or deaths linked to the strike was found.

Both accounts

Doctors' account

Doctors said the government was shirking its own duty to improve public care by shifting it onto private hospitals Swarajya, and that their suggestions had been left out IANS via NewsGram. In late March their one-point demand was withdrawal before any talks PTI via Careers360.

Government's account

Government's position Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said the select committee had accepted the doctors' suggestions, including reimbursement for patients who cannot pay and two IMA members on the authorities. He said it would be an insult to the House to withdraw the bill at the doctors' behest ETV Bharat. "The doctors are agitating despite their suggestions being accepted. This is not justified," he told the Assembly PTI via Deccan Herald.

Gehlot said doubts could be cleared before notification and "it is not the time for politics as people are suffering" PTI via Outlook. Claim · Gehlot He said four or five doctors "associated with the RSS" had raised objections after a deal on the doctors' recommendations, calling them "Gaddar" (traitors). He gave no evidence in the reporting reviewed. The state also ordered disciplinary action against doctors on unapproved leave PTI via Deccan Herald.

The 4 April 2023 agreement

The IMA, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society and the United Private Clinics and Hospitals Association signed an eight-point memorandum with the government PTI via National Herald. Principal Secretary T. Ravikanth signed for the state The Mooknayak. Main terms:

Private hospitals that took no land or other benefits from the state at subsidised rates are outside the law.
In the first phase, private multi-speciality hospitals with fewer than 50 beds are also outside it.
It covers private medical colleges, PPP hospitals, and hospitals and trusts given land free or cheaply.
Police and other cases from the agitation are to be withdrawn.
Future rule changes will involve IMA representatives.

With this, Rajasthan will become the first state in the country to implement 'Right to Health'.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, statement, 4 April 2023 (PTI)

The Leaflet cited a "popularly quoted figure" that about 98% of Rajasthan's private hospitals are small, and argued the agreement "fails the original purpose of the Act" The Leaflet.

What happened to the Act

The Gazette records the Governor's assent on 11 April 2023 Rajasthan Gazette via PRS. A rules committee under Dr S.K. Sarin was set up in July 2023, but in September more than 70 groups led by JSA Rajasthan told Gehlot there had been no progress Free Press Journal. No rules were notified before the Gehlot government left office.

On 12 February 2026, Congress MLA Harimohan Sharma asked the BJP government of Bhajanlal Sharma why rules had not been framed. Government's position Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar said the Act was brought in undemocratically before elections, caused a strike, and that under the "Maa Yojana" 5 crore people already have cover of up to Rs 25 lakh, so "there was no need for a separate act". The government's written reply said rule-making, after examining stakeholders' suggestions, was under process Free Press Journal. Congress MLAs walked out. Gehlot said "the BJP government has failed to frame rules and is now making excuses" IANS via Lokmat Times. The question also referred to a Rajasthan High Court notice on the rules; no order on it was found.

Outcome

Law: Passed 21 March 2023; rules not notified as of February 2026.
Strike: Ended 4 April 2023 after about 17 days, per PTI.
Policy change: Unaided private hospitals and multi-speciality hospitals under 50 beds were to be excluded by agreement.
Police action: Lathicharge on 20 March and water cannons on 21 March in Jaipur. No inquiry was reported.
Cases: Cases from the agitation were to be withdrawn under the agreement. No follow-up report was found.

Questions people ask

Why did doctors in Rajasthan go on strike in 2023?

Private doctors said the Right to Health law did not clearly define "emergency", gave no reimbursement mechanism, and placed them under authorities that could fine them. They demanded its withdrawal.

When did the Rajasthan doctors' strike end?

On 4 April 2023, when doctors' bodies signed an eight-point agreement with the government. PTI put the strike at 17 days.

Were doctors lathicharged in Jaipur?

Yes. On 20 March 2023 police used lathis on doctors marching to the Assembly at Statue Circle. Police said protesters turned violent; doctors said police started it.

Is the Right to Health Act in force now?

Its rules had not been notified as of February 2026. The BJP health minister said a separate act was not needed given the Maa Yojana scheme, while the government's written reply said rule-making was in process.

Rajasthan's Right to Health Act and the doctors' strike of March-April 2023

Key takeaways

Background: what the bill provided

The doctors' objections

Timeline

Lathicharge at Statue Circle

Residents stop work; bill passed

CM appeals, talks fail

The big Jaipur rally

Government doctors' mass leave

Agreement, strike ends