Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Human life, above all: On the Rajasthan Right to Health Act and the stance of doctors

Human life, above all: On the Rajasthan Right to Health Act and the stance of doctors

Opposition (विरोध, प्रतिरोध) of doctors to the right to health comes from baseless (निराधार, अप्रमाणित) misgivings (सन्देह, घबराहट)

It is confounding (उलझाना) how something that is stridently (strictly, firmly, in a tough/stiff way) ‘good’ in ethical (नैतिक, सदाचारी) and legal terms can run into (collide with, smash into, crash into, hit, ram) a wall of opposition built on narrow (narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, short-sighted, inward-looking, discriminatory, biased) professional and commercial interests (common concerns (in politics/business)). As in the case of the Right to Health Act that was passed in Rajasthan last week, and the unprecedented (अभूतपूर्व) kerfuffle that followed, with doctors in the State vehemently (जोरदार) protesting what they called a ‘draconian (कठोर) law’. The Right to Health is in sync (in agreement; work well together) with the constitutional (संवैधानिक) guarantee of right to life, and other components of the Directive Principles (निर्देशक सिद्धांत). That no person seeking health care should be denied it, on the grounds (reason, cause, basis) of access and affordability (the capacity to afford the cost/price of something), is an acceptable proviso (condition, stipulation, provision, clause, requirement). The Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022, addresses these key issues of access and affordability. It “seeks to provide protection and fulfilment (पूर्ति, उपलब्धि) of rights, equity (हिस्सेदारी, निष्पक्षता) in relation to health and well-being (healthy state/condition) for achieving the goal of health care for all through guaranteed access to quality health care for all residents of the State, without any catastrophic (आपत्तिजनक, विनाशकारी) out-of-pocket expenditure”. The law, which also provides for a social audit (the audit of a scheme jointly by the Government and the people, especially by those who are affected by the scheme or its beneficiaries. It is a powerful tool to promote transparency, accountability and people’s participation in the schemes meant for them) and grievance redress (reparation, restitution, compensation, indemnity, remedy), gives every resident of the State the right to emergency treatment without paying a single paisa to any health-care institution, and specifies that private health-care institutions would be compensated (repay, pay back, reimburse (in acknowledgment of loss)) for the charges incurred (cause, suffer, experience, be liable/subject to, attract) for such treatment.

The doctors who came out in large numbers (to appear in large quantities in some public place, particularly for some common cause) to protest the law on the streets of Jaipur said they were distrustful (doubtful, apprehensive, sceptical, suspicious, disbelieving, doubting) of the government’s promise of recompense (compensation, payment, repayment, settlement (for loss/damage)) for expenses incurred for treating patients during an emergency. To the charge that there is no detailing of the process, health right activists (a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause)) have pointed out (indicate, detail, mention, specify, referto) that it would be a function (purpose, aim, basis, reason) of the Rules, not the law itself. The protesting doctors also claimed to be apprehensive (anxious, worried, concerned, restless, tense, strained) of the government’s interference (intervention, involvement; meddling, nosing around) in their functioning (work, operation, performance) once the law is enforced (carry out, implement, execute, apply). Ironically, all of them believe that health care is a right of the people; only, they believe that the State would have to be the sole (only, one (and only), lone, exclusive, unique) provider. However, this is scarcely (hardly, barely, only just, almost not; rarely, seldom) the first such exposition (explanation, description, elucidation, interpretation) of the right to health. In 1989, the Supreme Court observed (comment, remark, mention, say, note) that “every injured citizen brought for medical treatment should instantaneously (very quickly, immediately, promptly, instantly) be given medical aid to preserve life and thereafter (after that, afterwards, subsequently) the procedural (official, formal, systematic, methodical) criminal law (a complex system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes) should be allowed to operate in order to avoid negligent (lax, neglectful, careless, lackadaisical, lazy, inefficient, incompetent, inattentive, offhand, casual, disorderly, disorganized) death”. Having transformed a progressive (forward-looking, forward-thinking; reforming, revolutionary) ideal (principle, standard, criterion, morality, conviction, ideology, ethics, belief) into law, Rajasthan should now strive (try, aim, attempt, aspire, make an effort, do one’s best, work towards) to gain the trust of the doctors through demonstrable (provable, verifiable, proven, clear-cut, evident, undeniable, unmistakable) action. It is also incumbent upon the doctors to rise above (to tackle a difficult or unpleasant situation successfully (or) to not allow a bad situation affects you) the differences (disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument), and work with the government to save human lives.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.above all (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - सबसे ऊपर
English Meaning - most importantly, before everything, beyond everything, first of all, mainly, primarily.

2.stance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुद्रा, स्थिति
English Meaning - opinion, position, viewpoint, standpoint, point of view.

3.opposition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विरोध, प्रतिरोध
English Meaning - resistance, objection, obstruction, defiance, dissent.

4.baseless (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निराधार, अप्रमाणित
English Meaning - groundless, unproven, unsupported, unconfirmed, unverified.

5.misgiving (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सन्देह, घबराहट
English Meaning - doubt, qualm, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, lack of faith/confidence.

6.confound (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उलझाना
English Meaning - baffle, puzzle, perplex, bewilder, mystify, confuse.

7.ethical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - नैतिक, सदाचारी
English Meaning - moral, good, virtuous, righteous, upright, proper, correct, honest.

8.unprecedented (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अभूतपूर्व
English Meaning - not done or experienced before.

9.vehemently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - जोरदार
English Meaning - intensely, fiercely, forcefully, severely.

10.draconian (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - कठोर
English Meaning - (of laws or punishments) extremely harsh, severe, strict, stringent, tough.

11.constitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संवैधानिक
English Meaning - relating to the Constitution; legal, legitimate, lawful.

12.Directive Principles (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्देशक सिद्धांत
English Meaning - Part IV of the Constitution of India (Article 36–51) contains the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP). These principles aim at ensuring socioeconomic justice to the people and establishing India as a Welfare State.

13.fulfilment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्ति, उपलब्धि
English Meaning - achievement, attainment, contentment, gratification, realization.

14.equity (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिस्सेदारी, निष्पक्षता
English Meaning - fairness, justness, neutrality, lack of bias, impartiality.

15.catastrophic (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - आपत्तिजनक, विनाशकारी
English Meaning - destructive, ruinous, disastrous, devastating.

16.Rajasthan Right to Health Act, 2022 (noun)

English Meaning - The Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, 2022, was introduced in the Rajasthan Assembly on September 22, 2022. It seeks to provide for the protection and fulfilment of equitable rights in health and well-being. The Bill provides rights to patients and healthcare providers, places the obligation on the government to protect these legal rights and mandates the setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms. The Bill gives the right to mandatory free-of-cost emergency treatment for every resident of the State at both the government hospitals and the privately-run institutions.

17.confounding (adjective)

English Meaning - surprising, confusing, baffling, stunning.

18.stridently (adverb)

English Meaning - strictly, firmly, in a tough/stiff way.

19.run into (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - collide with, smash into, crash into, hit, ram.

20.run into a wall (phrase)

English Meaning - to face an immovable or insurmountable (unconquerable) difficulty (or) not able to make progress due to a hindrance.

21.built on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - develop, enhance, amplify.

22.narrow (adjective)

English Meaning - narrow-minded, intolerant, illiberal, short-sighted, inward-looking, discriminatory, biased.

23.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

24.kerfuffle (noun)

English Meaning - commotion, disruption, disturbance, disorder, furore, fuss, hullabaloo, brouhaha, racket, ruckus, tumult, turmoil, uproar, clamour.

25.in sync (phrase)

English Meaning - in agreement; work well together.

26.guarantee (noun)

English Meaning - assurance, promise, warranty.

27.seek (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal for.

28.grounds (noun)

English Meaning - reason, cause, basis.

29.affordability (noun)

English Meaning - the capacity to afford the cost/price of something.

30.proviso (noun)

English Meaning - condition, stipulation, provision, clause, requirement.

31.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

32.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

33.well-being (noun)

English Meaning - healthy state/condition.

34.out-of-pocket expenditure (noun)

English Meaning - (cash) payments made directly and that may not be reimbursed.

35.social audit (noun)

English Meaning - the audit of a scheme jointly by the Government and the people, especially by those who are affected by the scheme or its beneficiaries. It is a powerful tool to promote transparency, accountability and people’s participation in the schemes meant for them.

36.grievance (noun)

English Meaning - complaint, protestation, protest, criticism, problem, objection.

37.redress (noun)

English Meaning - reparation, restitution, compensation, indemnity, remedy.

38.compensate (verb)

English Meaning - repay, pay back, reimburse (in acknowledgment of loss).

39.incur (verb)

English Meaning - cause, suffer, experience, be liable/subject to, attract.

40.came out in large numbers (phrase)

English Meaning - to appear in large quantities in some public place, particularly for some common cause.

41.distrustful (adjective)

English Meaning - doubtful, apprehensive, sceptical, suspicious, disbelieving, doubting.

42.recompense (noun)

English Meaning - compensation, payment, repayment, settlement (for loss/damage).

43.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

44.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - indicate, detail, mention, specify, referto.

45.function (noun)

English Meaning - purpose, aim, basis, reason.

46.apprehensive (adjective)

English Meaning - anxious, worried, concerned, restless, tense, strained.

47.interference (noun)

English Meaning - intervention, involvement; meddling, nosing around.

48.functioning (noun)

English Meaning - work, operation, performance,

49.enforce (verb)

English Meaning - carry out, implement, execute, apply.

50.ironically (adverb)

English Meaning - paradoxically, unexpectedly, strangely.

51.sole (adjective)

English Meaning - only, one (and only), lone, exclusive, unique.

52.scarcely (adverb)

English Meaning - hardly, barely, only just, almost not; rarely, seldom.

53.exposition (noun)

English Meaning - explanation, description, elucidation, interpretation.

54.observe (verb)

English Meaning - comment, remark, mention, say, note.

55.instantaneously (adverb)

English Meaning - very quickly, immediately, promptly, instantly.

56.thereafter (adverb)

English Meaning - after that, afterwards, subsequently.

57.procedural (adjective)

English Meaning - official, formal, systematic, methodical.

58.criminal Law (noun)

English Meaning - a complex system of laws concerned with punishment of individuals who commit crimes.

59.negligent (adjective)

English Meaning - lax, neglectful, careless, lackadaisical, lazy, inefficient, incompetent, inattentive, offhand, casual, disorderly, disorganized.

60.progressive (adjective)

English Meaning - forward-looking, forward-thinking; reforming, revolutionary.

61.ideal (noun)

English Meaning - principle, standard, criterion, morality, conviction, ideology, ethics, belief.

62.strive (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt, aspire, make an effort, do one’s best, work towards.

63.demonstrable (adjective)

English Meaning - provable, verifiable, proven, clear-cut, evident, undeniable, unmistakable.

64.be incumbent upon (phrase)

English Meaning - to be necessary for someone; be someone’s duty/responsibility/obligation to do something.

65.rise above (phrase)

English Meaning - to tackle a difficult or unpleasant situation successfully (or) to not allow a bad situation affects you.

66.difference (noun)

English Meaning - disagreement, difference of opinion, misunderstanding, dispute, argument.