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Anti Medical Terrorism Day

19July

Towards Quality &

Transparent Healthcare

A promising life comes to a screeching halt yet again, as the19 year old college going girl, Sonali Sarkar falls prey at the hands of Medical Negligence. When the providers of life, the doctors, adopt  a callous attitude towards the patients, precious life like those of  Sonali, Dr Anamika and about 1 lakh patients will be lost and families will continue to  suffer each year in the country. It has now become extremely pertinent for the Government to improve healthcare services, bring about accountability as well as improve the quality and transparency in these health provisions.

 

We now urgently need a law in the country to regulate the healthcare service.It is a matter of serious concern for the entire nation that about 5.2 million (52 lakh) medical injuries are recorded in India, of which around 98,000 people lose their lives every year. Approximately 3 million (30 lakh) years of healthy life are lost in the country each year due to medical error and negligence, which is not acceptable at any cost.

 

On July 17, 2015, three year old Aalphul did not realize that the smile that her mother exchanged before going into the operation theatre for a minimal access surgery to remove the gallbladder was a final good bye. The playful little girl didn't understand the medical jargons that were spelled out by doctors and relatives and her distraught father in the next two days but she realised that seeing her mother and playing with her was not going to be possible. When after two days her relatives had kept her aloof and busy, she never dreamed that her mother had lost her life due to unpardonable medical negligence and nobody was willing to take responsibility for this untimely and tragic end. Aalphul's mother Dr. Anamika Ray, a renowned media educator of the country, had her life's lights snuffed out too early due to utter medical negligence, nay, medical terrorism, in a hospital in New Delhi on July 19, 2015.

 

The case of Aalphul is one of the approximately 5.2 million cases where the unsuspecting and trusting medical victims fall prey at the hands of callous medical practitioners. To create awareness and improve the condition of healthcare services in India, a Trust was formed by the late Dr. Anamika Ray's friends and relatives and this generated into a movement against the commercialization and negligence of medical practice. Only 2% medical malpractice victims sue for compensation and 98% of malpractice victims never receive compensation because they never start a suit even in developed countries.

 

Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust reiterates that the purpose of the movement is to bring about improvement and transparency in health care services in the country through legislation aimed at systemic changes. It is a distant and difficult goal but the movement is determined to succeed so that victims of Medical Terrorism can find justice. This movement doesn't generalize the entire medical fraternity, but tries to bring into light the indifferent attitude of some practitioners who threaten to malign the sanctity of medical practice. Doctors who wish to and are trying to make a difference through their actions can do so with greater ease, so that there is greater and justified trust in the relationship between medical professionals and patients. The Trust urges the public not to be swayed by diverse and misleading arguments and to support the movement.

 

The trust has prepared a list of ten points as demands to the state and union governments for improving the present healthcare condition of the country. The demands include CCTV surveillance in the hospital premises, ICU monitoring facility, availability of the indoor case file or ticket, recording of surgery, prompt action towards negligence issues, prevention of laboratory nexus, prescription of generic medicine, incorporation of a course on medical ethics and communication between doctor-patients in the medical programme, development of the skills of paramedical staff, development of record-keeping mechanism on the cases pertaining to medical error and negligence, etc.

 

The issue of “Medical Terrorism” propagated by Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust has been placed and deliberated at the 32nd general session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations, Geneva recently by an NGO named Prahar. The Trust also observes Patients’ Rights Day nationally on June 25 and Anti Medical Terrorism Day on July 19. 

Right To Health

as fundamental right

Your only a click away from assuring yourself a dignified life and quality healthcare. Please share and circulate patients' rights and responsibilities and sign the petition for Right to Health as fundamental right on the occasion of Patients' Rights Day on 25 June, 2019 Tuesday.

#patientsrightsday #prd2019

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