IE: World Health Day Street play highlights patients’ rights: April 08, 2008
WORLD HEALTH DAY Street play highlights patients’ rights
The play was performed at the OPD sections of three BMC-run hospitals…..JINAL SHAH
A 30-YEAR-OLD woman who is diabetic got an instant dose of awareness on her rights as a patient after watching a street play performed on the World Health Day.
Soon after the play got over at Rajawadi Hospital’s outpatient department in Ghatkopar, Karima Sheikh, a teacher by profession, rushed to the doctor who is treating her for diabetes and demanded medication as per her rights.
Sheikh complained that the doctor prescribed her medicines till April 15, but when she went to a pharmacist asking for the same he refused her the whole dosage saying that her case papers were about to expire. Not aware about her rights then, Sheikh left the hospital with the medicines for only 13 days.
“After watching the play, I realized that I have a right to access healthcare which includes compete dosage of medicines as prescribed by the doctor. I then went back to the doctor and complained about the pharmacist and immediately got my medicines for the whole duration,” she said.
Sheikh, working in a Powai school, was one of the many patients who were made aware of their rights through the street play organized by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan – an NGO working for better healthcare facilities.
The street play was performed at the OPD sections of the three BMC-run hospitals – B Y L Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central, Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar – on Monday.
It highlighted the basic rights of patients – right to access healthcare, right to emergency care, right to information, right to privacy, right to autonomy and decision making, right to quality care and right to seek redressal.
On the occasion of the World Health Day, the interactive play highlighted the Supreme Court directives regarding the right to emergency healthcare. According to the SC directives, patients and their relatives have the right to be informed what is written in the consent form before performing any kind of operation, why are the medicines prescribed and the implications of the treatment provided.
After the play, many patients came out in open with the problems they face in the hospitals during treatment.
Their complaints included not getting essential drugs for free from the hospital, apathy of the doctors and nurses among others.
Nurses, on the other hand, complained about the patient load. “According to the norms, there should be one nurse for one emergency and one nurse for eight patients in a ward, but today one nurse takes care of at least 20 patients,” said Radha Sigh, a nurse at Rajawadi Hospital.
One common suggestion that came out as the result of the play was that hospitals should have “complaint or suggestion box system active.”
“I am literate and can fight for my rights. But there are many patients who are not literate. Such plays can spread awareness among illiterates about their rights,” Karima Sheikh said.