Patient Solidarity Day to be observed by PSM India and Healthcare Stakeholders
Patients declare that ‘healthcare is a human right’ worldwide
On Saturday 5 December, patients from across the world will join together to celebrate Patient Solidarity Day and declare that healthcare is a human right.
Leading patients’ groups from six continents will host a range of events to raise awareness among the public and will urge decision-makers to respect, protect and fulfil patients’ rights at every level of care. Events will include marches, free health screenings and meeting with ministers to change perspectives around health and improve the lives of patients.
INVITATION TO ALL OUR READERS
ACCESSIBILITY TO SAFE AND QUALITY HEALTHCARE FOR ALL under UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE
This year PSM India and Consumer Online Foundation have come together with Kolhan Manavadhikar Sangathan to hold a discussion with Government of India ministers, State Ministers of Jharkhand, prominent personalities in the healthcare sector and about 1500 healthcare stakeholders on 5th December at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Deliberations shall take place on accessibility to safe and quality healthcare for all under the UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE. Government of India is supporting this effort highly positively.
In August this year, Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishing a centre of excellence on 'Patient Safety and Accessibility to Quality Healthcare' with the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to achieve the goal of universal health coverage (UHC) through efficient use of resources and technology. “The project is aimed at providing high quality medical services to over one lakh people in the next 12 months”, state Mr.Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman of PSM India.
PSM India and Consumer Online Foundation observed Patient Solidarity Day last year on 6th December in New Delhi and on 9thDecember in Mumbai along with leading Consumer Organisations and Patients Groups with Senior Citizens and various stakeholders in the healthcare sector to demonstrate their solidarity to demand access to safe and quality Healthcare for all and Universal Health Coverage for the Senior Citizens similar to the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana started in April 2008 by Government of India.
The World Health Organization states that every person has ‘the right to the highest attainable standard of health’. The International Human Rights Framework, a body of international law that outlines and upholds the basic rights of every person, supports this. Patients taking part in Patient Solidarity Day will stand up for their rights and call for healthcare providers to respond.
Kawaldip Sehmi, CEO of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations, said:
‘All of us should have access to the healthcare we need: good quality, affordable care without fear of discrimination. Healthcare is a human right for all. We call on individuals, organizations and institutions to ensure that health systems are designed and services delivered to meet the needs of patients.’
Founder Director of PSM India, Mr. Bejon Misra feels that the healthcare indicators of our country are among the worst among developing countries, despite it being one of the world's fastest growing economies during the past decades. Consumer organizations have been demanding for increase in number of resources in the healthcare sector since the last three decades for quality healthcare of people without shelling out money from their pockets. There needs to be focus on complete healthcare coverage and improvement in preventive healthcare services by ensuring adequate availability of expert doctors in all cities of our country including rural areas too.
With this hope the project on Universal Health Coverage for All shall be launched at Jamshedpur marking the Patient Solidarity Day on 5th December 2015. PSM India extends a warm invite to all our readers to attend this event and partner in being an active stakeholder in this endeavor.