The charter lists right to information, informed consent, second opinion and right to choose alternate treatment options among 17 specified rights
After having stopped short last year of making health an actionable right in the National Health Policy, the Indian health ministry is now planning to implement a “Charter of Patient Rights”.
The charter, prepared by the National Human Rights Commission, lays down the basic rights of citizens like right to Information, right to records, right to emergency care, right to informed consent, right to privacy and confidentiality, right to transparency and even a right to a second opinion. The draft charter has been uploaded on the website of the ministry of health and family welfare for stakeholder comments. Once adopted, the charter will have to be prominently displayed at all hospitals, clinics, pharmacies etc and state governments will need to set up a grievance redressal mechanism as specified by the NHRC. Right to grievance redressal is one of the 17 rights listed.
The charter, lays down the basic rights of citizens like right to Information, records, emergency care, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, transparency and even a right to a second opinion
The charter also emphasises on the need to uphold human dignity and privacy. “Female patients have the right to presence of another female person during physical examination by a male practitioner. It is the duty of the hospital management to ensure presence of such female attendants in case of female patients. The hospital management has a duty to ensure that its staff upholds the human dignity of every patient in all situations,” the charter says.
Comments on the charter are required to be sent to the ministry by the end of the month.
