NHRC MEETING OF HEALTH SECRETARIES ON ILLEGAL MEDICAL PRACTICE, SPURIOUS DRUGS AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
New Delhi, January 29th, 2010
The National Human Rights Commission organized a day long meeting of the Health Secretaries of States and Union Territories and other stakeholders to discuss the issues of illegal medical practice by quacks, spurious drugs and lack of medical facilities in Tribal Areas among others. The meeting aimed at making suggestions for the improvement in the public healthcare system in the country.
Inaugurating the meet, NHRC Acting Chairperson, Mr. Justice G. P. Mathur said that one of the big challenges facing quality medical care in the country is the fact that untrained and unqualified people or quacks can practice medicine without impunity even in a city like Delhi, despite the fact that there are laws for the registration of qualified doctors only. He said that only such medical qualifications are recognized which are included in the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
Justice Mathur said that in absence of recognized medical practitioners, the rural and areas of tribal population are dependent upon mostly unqualified doctors. He said that Right to Health is a fundamental right and also one of the most important human right. The State functionaries are duty bound to make utmost efforts to ensure that all possible medical facilities are made available to every person in the country.
Speaking on the occasion the NHRC Member, Mr. P.C. Sharma said that the Commission has adopted a proactive role on the health front. He said that public health care should be subject matter of political debate and serious issue of discussion for civil society which in the present scenario is lacking in the country.
Referring to the spurious drugs marketing which is running into crores of business, Mr. Sharma said that the Drug Control of India, Director General of Health Services and the Health Ministry need to devise emergent methods of enforcements to step out this evil practice which is prevalent despite a minimum of 10 years of imprisonment and fine of Rs.10 lakh penalty for manufacturing such medicines.
Mr. Sharma said that it is NHRC's believe that only an exceptional response ensuring mass mobilization of every sector of society can generate comprehensive healthcare in the country and the Commission would continue to work as a catalyst to engage various agencies in this direction.
Later, during the session on Illegal medical practice, in a specific reference to the suggestion of having three and half years of short-term training of persons for deployment in rural areas as doctors, Mr. Sharma said this step would be discriminatory to both the people who get treatment from such half baked professionals and also to the medical students who takes eight to ten years to become specialist doctors. He said people in rural are as much entitled to get treatment from fully qualified doctors as are in the urban areas.
Several key suggestions were made to improve overall healthcare scenario in the country including the issues of illegal medical practice, spurious drugs and health care facilities in the rural and tribal areas.
The representatives of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Medical Council of India, Delhi Medical Council, members of NHRC's Core Advisory Group on Health and representatives of civil society, NHRC Members and officers attended the meeting.
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The National Human Rights Commission organized a day long meeting of the Health Secretaries of States and Union Territories and other stakeholders to discuss the issues of illegal medical practice by quacks, spurious drugs and lack of medical facilities in Tribal Areas among others. The meeting aimed at making suggestions for the improvement in the public healthcare system in the country.
Inaugurating the meet, NHRC Acting Chairperson, Mr. Justice G. P. Mathur said that one of the big challenges facing quality medical care in the country is the fact that untrained and unqualified people or quacks can practice medicine without impunity even in a city like Delhi, despite the fact that there are laws for the registration of qualified doctors only. He said that only such medical qualifications are recognized which are included in the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956.
Justice Mathur said that in absence of recognized medical practitioners, the rural and areas of tribal population are dependent upon mostly unqualified doctors. He said that Right to Health is a fundamental right and also one of the most important human right. The State functionaries are duty bound to make utmost efforts to ensure that all possible medical facilities are made available to every person in the country.
Speaking on the occasion the NHRC Member, Mr. P.C. Sharma said that the Commission has adopted a proactive role on the health front. He said that public health care should be subject matter of political debate and serious issue of discussion for civil society which in the present scenario is lacking in the country.
Referring to the spurious drugs marketing which is running into crores of business, Mr. Sharma said that the Drug Control of India, Director General of Health Services and the Health Ministry need to devise emergent methods of enforcements to step out this evil practice which is prevalent despite a minimum of 10 years of imprisonment and fine of Rs.10 lakh penalty for manufacturing such medicines.
Mr. Sharma said that it is NHRC's believe that only an exceptional response ensuring mass mobilization of every sector of society can generate comprehensive healthcare in the country and the Commission would continue to work as a catalyst to engage various agencies in this direction.
Later, during the session on Illegal medical practice, in a specific reference to the suggestion of having three and half years of short-term training of persons for deployment in rural areas as doctors, Mr. Sharma said this step would be discriminatory to both the people who get treatment from such half baked professionals and also to the medical students who takes eight to ten years to become specialist doctors. He said people in rural are as much entitled to get treatment from fully qualified doctors as are in the urban areas.
Several key suggestions were made to improve overall healthcare scenario in the country including the issues of illegal medical practice, spurious drugs and health care facilities in the rural and tribal areas.
The representatives of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Medical Council of India, Delhi Medical Council, members of NHRC's Core Advisory Group on Health and representatives of civil society, NHRC Members and officers attended the meeting.
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