Jamshedpur 5th Dec 2015 India needs 10% of the GDP towards Public Healthcare, Citizens of Jamshedpur in India demanded this on the occasion of Patient Solidarity Day, celebrated globally by the members of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organisations (IAPO), Founder of Consumer Online Foundation, India and founder director,PSM India along with other Consumer and Human Rights Organisations organised the event on 5th December 2015 at the XLRI TATA Auditorium. The event saw various healthcare stakeholders discuss the issue of access to healthcare for all citizens. It was well attended by an audience from various spheres of society. This year the theme is “Healthcare is a human right”.

GUWAHATI, Jan 20 The Central Government has decided to set up a special redressal mechanism initiative to address the grievances related to consumers’ rights with special focus to health services and food safety in Assam. In this regard, an exclusive helpline number and a website will be launched soon by the Union Government. This was informed by Bejon Misra, internationally acclaimed consumer rights activist and the founder-director of ‘Partnership for Safe Medicines India’ while talking to The Assam Tribune here today. The decision assumes importance in the wake of increasing number of sub-standard edibles and other products being marketed and sold to consumers across the State. Misra, who had a meeting with top Central Government officials in Guwahati on Tuesday, said that the Centre has assured to make the project operational within a year’s time and the State Government too has extended its support. Prominent citizens, including retired judges, bureaucrats and other professionals, will be involved in the initiative. The project will be jointly developed and monitored by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, DoNER and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. “Along with Assam, other Northeastern States will also be covered. Complaints will be received in all local dialects of the region,” Misra added. Misra, while maintaining that consumers’ awareness is very critical for a country’s development, said the “right to health” is one of the most neglected subjects. Favouring the need to promote generic medicine, Misra said that doctors should be compelled to prescribe a second option of generic medicine with identical compositions so that the common man is not denied of treatment at affordable prices. “It has become an uncanny trend to prescribe costly and branded medicines because of the profit involved. We must stop this trend by giving a choice of generic medicines to the patients. It is sad that 40 per cent of the Indian population are either taking loans or selling assets for medical treatment. Further, an increasing number of people are pushed below the poverty line due to the cost they incur for medical treatment, which is really unfortunate and a matter of worry,” Misra pointed out, adding, “The system is devoid of any provision of checks and balances”. He also appealed the political parties in the State to include universal health coverage for all, irrespective of their social and financial backgrounds, in their election manifestos. By SANJOY RAY

London At the7th Global Patients Congress at Selsdon Park Hotel South London UK from 9th to 11th April 2016 our Founder Mr Bejon Misra of Consumer Online Foundation and Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation has got elected as a Member of Governing Board of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organisation today at the General Body Meeting of IAPO. IAPO has 250 Members, representing 47 disease areas and 67 countries, and represents an estimated 365 million patients worldwide. When Mr Bejon Misra was asked about the victory, he said: “it is a proud moment for India as it is for the first time India has got recognised for the first time within IAPO as a major player to speak up on policies in healthcare delivery system globally and actively engage within WHO to bring patient centric culture within the healthcare ecosystem”. He further said that ” the theme of the 7th Global Patients Congress is Innovation improving sustainable access: boosting your reach and impact. My priority will be to implement the Universal Health Coverage and ensure quality and safety of medicines and healthcare is made accessible for all”. Report from Greater London speaking to the editor of “The Prescription” and THE AWARE CONSUMER. Event Images: