CHENNAI: High hospital fees were not unheard of in the precarious times of the pandemic, at least until the government regulation came about. This financial burden, combined with the skewed doctor-patient ratio and lack of contact between relatives and doctors (due to chance of infection) resulted in a great deal of mishaps and mental trauma, says Dr Mohamed Khader Meeran, who found himself facing this situation when his patients turned to him for help with their problems.
“I directed them to the respective authorities. But what I observed is that only a few of the people I helped could get their tasks done. Because, unfortunately, hospital administrators weren’t sure of the protocol either. They wondered if their actions would leave them answerable to their seniors and that’s when I came up with an idea,” he says. The idea that manifested in his recent release Patients’ Rights in India, an informative handbook for the common man. The book was released in Tamil and will further find an edition in Hindi and Marathi as well.
It features a simply-worded compilation, consisting various aspects of the Indian citizen’s healthcare rights that are further illuminated through case studies and court cases. From the Right to Information and the Right to Emergency Treatment to Rights of Deceased Patients to Patients’ Rights during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the handy text is a holistic purview of the healthcare system.
However, that was no easy task for Dr Meeran, who had to seek help from several legal experts in public health and medical practitioners/ professors to proofread the words and ensure authenticity. “During the process of writing this book, the new consumer act (Consumer Protection Act, 2019) was written; so, there was a possibility that a few of the court judgements (based on the Consumer Protection Act, 1986) may have been overruled by some provisions of the former. For this, three or four advocates and my professor Dr Indrajit Khandekar (who was instrumental in banning the ‘two finger test’ in examination of rape victims) were consulted. It took them nearly four months to verify it,” he shares.
What we know and need
Constant worry for change was also accompanied by suggestions from readers and well-wishers. “People recommended that we include more about reproductive rights of women, organ transplant procedures, rights of people in custody/mental health facilities/prison,” he says. Recognising this, Dr Meeran introduced a chapter on healthcare rights for prisoners in the Tamil edition and is working on constant updates and addition in the second edition of the English book that will be out in a few months. For those who are looking to follow up on changes, he offers a QR Code (refer below) and Google Form through which registrants can do so.
The goal, above all else, is to ensure that the common person can educate themselves on their legal rights, something that often flies under the radar of public knowledge. “In my opinion, even the educated don’t know of their rights. Amid 100 patients, maybe 10 per cent know them. And even in those, maybe one per cent know the procedures — whom to approach or address for a complaint, what documents to compile and such. We have tried to minimise the use of medical jargon because this is educational material for the layman,” he explains.
Need of the hour
Of the strong opinion that only the awareness of these rights can improve the overall standards of healthcare and governance, Meeran also sheds light on the lack of education for the same in medical institutes. Several colleges race through this subject or often don’t even offer the appropriate rules, he says. He also came across the issue of being in the dark when he began his practice in Tamil Nadu.
“I have received my degree from Maharashtra. So, when I went to the medical council for enrolment (in Tamil Nadu), I should have been given a copy, pdf or link to the Tamil Nadu Medical Code/Madras Medical Code but I wasn’t. These are not only important for new doctors but also students to know what they are allowed to do/not do (under the legal purview),” he exclaims, adding that such knowledge protects both parties and creates the empathy a doctor requires towards a patient.
An ignorance towards patients’ rights has also created much trauma in the system, it seems. Meeran quotes an example from his book to explain, “Previously, doctors were only allowed to prescribe generic brands of medication. Now, they operate mostly out of clinics that have their own pharmacies. So, the doctor writes the name of the brand that is available there, which is indirectly compelling a patient to buy from their practice (when they could, perhaps, get for cheaper elsewhere). I’m not saying every doctor is unaware; some know, some don’t.”
He also elucidates with the example of the Tamil Nadu government website that fails to display all the information needed. “Despite three or four directories in the state, there is only one page dedicated to the same. The administrative structure is given but their contact information is missing. As part of the Right to Information Act, they (the government) are supposed to proactively disclose these details on the website,” he explains.
The weight of the solution to this, however, must not be only on the government, he reminds, adding that he does not blame hospitals or the government. The responsibility is a shared one among medical practitioners, the government, people who form health education policies and such, and as we are living in an information technology era, we must use these resources appropriately.
Waiting for change
At the end of the day, Meeran hopes to see change on the horizon. Equipped with the knowledge of their legal rights, patients could demand what they want from authorities and hospital and healthcare professionals would be more receptive and in touch with the needs of their patients, he hopes. “There is no representation of patients’ problems in the system because they are not being communicated to the appropriate authorities. When they know legal rights, I am expecting people will demand that whatever rights are available to them — on paper right now — are brought to practice,” he concludes.
Pages: 168
Price: Rs 315
Publishers: Civilian Voice Publishers and Distributers