'Protect rights of health service clients'
Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a workshop yesterday underscored the need to protect the rights of the clients of health services with a view to ensuring access to healthcare for the poor and vulnerable segments of society.A study in 2001 found that 97 percent of clients and 93 percent of healthcare service providers in 14 districts were unaware of health rights. The scenario is more or less similar in the rest of the country, the speakers said. "The ministry of health and family welfare formulated a Client's Charter of Rights (CCR) in 1998 and disseminated information through posters, but the overall scenario in this respect is quite dismal," said Yasmin H Ahmed, managing director of Marie Stopes. Marie Stopes and DFID organised the workshop titled 'Working together for health rights' at a city hotel. "If the rights were established, the poor and the millionaire could get equal treatment from the service providers," said former adviser to the caretaker government Dhiraj Kumar Nath, who chaired the session. "Achievements in the health sector could be made when communities have information and the platform to demand their rights," said Sarah Sanyahumbi, acting head of DFID. "What the people need from the service providers is pretty simple -- easy access to a healthcare provider who is competent, can provide them with the professional care they need and treat them with dignity and compassion," she added. Dr Shabnam Shahnaj, Asia Regional Director, Marie Stopes International, also spoke. With a view to sensitising the people to their health rights, Marie Stopes implemented a two-year project titled 'Developing health consumer's awareness on rights through advocacy' in six upazilas -- Companyganj, Sylhet; Bogra Sadar; Singair, Manikganj; Patuakhali Sadar, Sitakunda, Chittagong; and Rupsha, Khulna. Under the project, awareness programmes were carried out through workshops and cultural events. The project was implemented with the assistance from the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB). The project, ending in July, found that the participants are now better informed of their health rights and doctors are more available and food and hygiene status have improved in government healthcare centres.
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