Rajasthan: IMA Suspends Private Medical Services For 24 Hours, RGHS Services Indefinitely, After Doctor Arrest

Jaipur: The Rajasthan unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has decided to keep all private medical services in the state closed for 24 hours, in protest against the arrest of Dr Son Dev Bansal, Director of Jaipur's Nivik Hospital. IMA Zonal Secretary Dr Anurag Sharma said the action has deeply angered doctors across the state.

Dr Bansal was arrested following a complaint lodged at the Mansarovar police station on September 29, 2025 by Jitendra Kumar Sharma, the son of a patient who had died in Nivik Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner of Police-South (DCP-South), Jaipur, Rajarshi Raj, stated that the complainant had alleged that he had admitted his mother, Shashi Sharma, to the hospital on September 1, 2025, for neurological treatment, for which, the hospital had charged him lakhs of rupees, but did not provide a bill or receipt. The complaint also said while the treatment was provided through the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), cash was also taken. Even when the mother's condition deteriorated, no information was provided. Her death was reported on September 28, 2025. When Jitendra asked for the documents, they were refused, and he was threatened by goons. Following a police investigation, Dr Bansal was arrested.

IMA officials said it was unfair to arrest a respected doctor based on alleged RGHS-related irregularities, when the medical board constituted in the case hadn't found any medical negligence. IMA president Dr Mahesh Sharma and secretary Dr N K Agarwal described this as an affront to the dignity of the medical profession, and said such action will adversely affect the morale of doctors.

Accordingly, they declared that all private medical services in the state will be completely closed from 8 am on Tuesday, April 14, to 8 am on April 15. Emergency and paramedical services will also be affected across private hospitals and medical colleges, during this period.

Although government doctors will not participate in a full-scale strike to ensure that government health services are not disrupted, they will protest this action through their own demonstrations.

The IMA said it has decided to indefinitely suspend RGHS services at all hospitals in the state as protest against the problems prevalent in the scheme, like payments not disbursed on time, unreasonable penalties, and procedural complexities. It said this step was taken to protect the dignity and honour of medical professionals, and demanded that Dr Son Dev Bansal is released immediately.