Lack of monitoring, accountability behind violation of health rights

Lack of regulatory mechanism, awareness and watchdog, incompetence of health service providers, complexities in legal framework, unofficial fees and unnecessary tests prescribed by the doctors also negatively affect consumer rights, they added.

Health Consumer' Rights Forum (HCRF) and Consumers Association Of Bangladesh (Cab) organised the discussion titled 'Health consumers' rights: Where do we stand?' following its survey report conducted on January 2005-June 2006.

"The rights of health service consumers would not be ensured unless the state policy is accurate," said Prof Rashid-e-Mahbub, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), adding that in the age of globalisation the corporate hospitals have been abusing people in the name of providing health service and persuading the doctors to be involved in business.

Vice Chancellor of South-East University and Convener of Bangladesh Shuchikitsha Andolon Prof M Shamsher Ali stressed the need for decentralising the health system as the people living outside the capital are mostly deprived of better health service.

"The acts related to health services have been losing effectiveness and it is important to pass consumer protection act immediately," said former chair of Bangladesh Press Council Justice Habibur Rahman Khan.

Speakers said the price of essential drugs has increased much whereas only 20 big pharmaceutical companies control 90 per cent of the total drug market.

The patients are also deprived of proper treatment in commercial clinics and diagnostic centres, they added.

According to the report of HCRF and Cab, the barriers to peoples' health service include lack of logistics in the hospitals, low standard of the treatment system, corruption and partisanship in administration, indifferent attitude of concerned authorities and adulterated and low quality medicine in the market.

It suggested to update the health policy and make it people-oriented, keep the health sector free from political influence, pass an act so that people could get compensation in case of the negligence of the doctors and reform the drug policy.

The suggestions also include encouraging the doctors for institutional practice, establishing central referral laboratory for appropriate pathological test and ensuring responsibility, accountability and monitoring at all the governmental health institutions.

Professor Dr Mohammad Saiful Islam moderated the discussion while Managing Director of AC Nielsen Dr Khalid Hasan, Associate Prof of BSMMU Prof Sayedur Rahman, Vice President (programme) of ATN Bangla Nowajesh Ali Khan and President of Cab Borhan Ahmed were present on the occasion.