'New law to regulate clinics should focus on rights of patients'

MUMBAI: As a 19-member high-powered committee drafts the clinical establishment law for the state before the forthcoming budget session, citizen groups have demanded that it should be focused on patients instead of on doctors.

"The Maharashtra act should have a charter of patients' rights that should be prominently displayed in each clinical establishment as a condition for registration," a Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA) press release said on Thursday.

The Centre had drafted the Clinical Establishments Act in 2010, which was passed in some union territories.

As health is a state subject, the state government appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Maharashtra Medical Council chief Dr Kishor Taori to address issues peculiar to the state.

The Indian Medical Association had raised several objections (see box) to specifications for clinics, prompting the state government to set up the Taori committee.

Now, healthcare activists feel the committee is too lopsided, with more doctors than civil society members.

The first meeting on January 6, for instance, did not take up the issue of patients' rights, said JAA members.

Patient rights includes information about costs, right to choose alternative treatment, and access to case papers and investigation reports.

"Patients have a right to choose the pharmacy they want; they have a right to seek non-discrimination on the basis of HIV status," Dr Arun Gadre of JAA said.

JAA has drafted a charter of rights that it wants the Taori committee to consider.

JAA says it will hold an agitation if its demands are not met. The committee meets again on Saturday.

JAA believes the lobby of private hospitals and doctors is influencing committee members to look at things from the doctors' perspective. "The Clinical Establishment Act (CEA) passed by the Centre in 2010 had some good points that must be included in the Maharashtra state CEA too. For instance, the state Act too should have standard of rates of procedures and treatment, guidelines for treatment," said Dr Abhijit More of JAA.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

'New law to regulate clinics should focus on rights of patients'

Dengan url

http://cegahkeropostulang.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-law-to-regulate-clinics-should.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

'New law to regulate clinics should focus on rights of patients'

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

'New law to regulate clinics should focus on rights of patients'

sebagai sumbernya