Right to health is non-negotiable. Health is not a synonym limited to access to medical care. Access to clean drinking water, food and living conditions when adverse, it has an impact on a person’s health too. Paradigm shift is necessary to achieve right to health.
Right to health is also mentioned in Article 21 of the Constitution, it is included in our fundamental right and is currently kept in the ‘policy directive.
TOUCHING UPON ROLE OF PRIVATE SECTOR IN HEALTHCARE
There is a need for the states of the Indian Union to draft public health bill and table it in the assemblies of the respective states for approval to make it into a Act.
Once the Bill becomes an Act, it will provide for protection of rights in relation to health and well-being and will be instrumental in achieving universal health coverage. Apart from bringing synchronisation in multiple departments, it will make health and healthcare services a legal right, which can be defended in a court of law.
Presenty only Rajasthan has the right to health act for protection of health rights of its citizens.
The right to health act , aims to set a broad legal framework for providing essential public health services and functions, including powers to respond to public health emergencies, principally through the state and local self-government, in collaboration with all other sectors.
The Act will allow state to make it compulsory for private establishments to notify 34 diseases listed in Schedule II (drugs having a high potential for abuse).
Dr Naresh Purohit (Executive Member- Federation Of Hospital Administrators. The views and opinion expressed in this article are those of the author)
