RESMA slapped after Rajasthan doctors go on mass leave

Around 10,000 doctors in public hospitals including District Hospitals, Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Community Health Centres (CHC) went on a mass leave on Monday. The call was made by All Rajasthan In Service Doctors Association (ARISDA).

The one-day mass leave, asking the government to fulfil their 33-point demands, affected medical facilities at districts and rural areas badly. Considering the agitation by ARISDA, the Rajasthan government declared RESMA (Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act) on Monday.

The one-day mass leave affected services around 4,000 public health facilities in the state. People faced problems as there was no doctor to attend patients at these hospitals. This mass leave took at least two lives in Nagaur District Hospital. One old lady Bhanvari Devi was brought to the hospital as she was injured in a road accident. Her relatives alleged that she died because there was no doctor to attend her. In the same hospital, a newborn, who was brought in a serious condition, died due to the absence of child specialist after one and a half hours of waiting.

In-service doctors in the state are on agitation for the last couple of months. Considering it, the state government decided to impose RESMA in Rajasthan health services for the next 3 months on Monday.