NHRL stressed need to upgrade health care facilities

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) Emphasising the need to upgrade healthcare facilities at ''all levels'', the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made a slew of recommendations, including introduction of public private partnership, for ensuring that the masses have access to healthcare.

The suggestions include recognising courses for Nurse Practitioners, introduction of public private partnership with a regulatory mechanism, Medical council to have inbuilt compulsory rural attachment, proper drug procurement mechanism, intervention of health and labour departments and industry in checking Silicosis and adequate maternal health services.

NHRC chairperson Justice Shivraj V Patil, who recently chaired the National Review Meeting on Health, said healthcare is a basic human right and there is a need to upgrade it at all levels.

''Providing healthcare is the obligation of the state and good practises of one state must be adopted in other states too,'' he pbserved.

The Commission recommended recognising courses for Nurse practitioners to ensure availability of independent treatment and also specialists like nurses Anaesthetists and Gynaecologists in rural areas.

''This will definitely have a direct impact on the IMR, MMR and also health status,'' Justice Patil said.

Stressing on the need of public private partnership, the NHRC chairperson said a regulatory mechanism to ensure quality standards by the partners was required.

''Our country is so vast that it is not possible for state agencies to provide healthcare for all so out of necessity public private partnership is required.... Caution is the need there to ensure that people remain the focus of the system,'' he observed.

The Commission also recommended the Medical Council of India to have an inbuilt compulsory rural attachment to ensure that doctors work in rural areas.

Expressing concern over lack of medicines at affordable prices, NHRC strongly suggested a proper drug procurement mechanism to ensure availability of drugs at PHC level.

Justice Patil announced setting up of a special group, with participation from NGO and health department officials, for investigating causes for silicosis.

The other suggestions include rational use of drugs to avoid over subscription, developing emergency medicine as a specialty, immunisation programme of the health department to include anti-natal and post-natal care, fulfillment of right to potable drinking water to check flurosis and need to take care of key childhood diseases-- diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.

UNI