June 07, 2020
By Lokethar
The Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar embodies the Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens including the right to health care in line with the health policies of the Government. The consumer protection law lays down the rights of consumers with regard to products and services provided by the organizations concerned. Hence the rights of those citizens who seek medical or health care in the various medical clinics, centres or hospitals are subject to the provisions of the Union Constitution and the Consumer Protection Law. In addition they are covered by the various laws in existence regarding health care by both public and private sectors.
It is learnt that the Ministry of Health and Sports is drawing up a new National Health Policy to replace that of 1993. It is drawing up the policy in “nine areas” one of which is “Patient Safety”. It’s most appropriate that “Patient Safety” has been included considering that in the “health system” the “patient“ is one of the main “stakeholders”. All health activities revolve around “the patient”, whether in preventive or curative health care activities. After all “The People are the Key” and “Patients are of the People”.
According to the World Health Organization, “Patient Safety aims to prevent and reduce risks, errors and harm that occurs to patients during provision of health care”. We can occasionally see such risks and errors in patient care generally in hospitals providing health care. It leads to infringement of the patient’s rights as well.
For the information of the general public, according to World Health Organization “every year millions of patients suffer injuries or die because of unsafe or poor-quality health care.
Many medical practices and risks are associated with health care are emerging as major challenges for patient safety and contribute significantly to the burden of harm due to unsafe care.” It lists some of the patient safety situation causing most concern as :-
• Medication errors
• Health care-associated infections
• Unsafe surgical care procedures
• Unsafe injection practices
• Diagnostic errors
• Unsafe transfusion practices
• Radiation errors
• Sepsis
• Venous thromboembolism (blood clots)
A further patient safety concern generally met with,( but not probably included in the above list which applies more or less to the medical profession,) is in physically transporting and transferring of “patients” by the hospital “attendants”. Examples are bed-ridden patient transfers from homes on to and from hospital ambulances, patients transferred from hospital beds to another floor or area of the hospital for X-Ray, or CT Scan or whatever. Such functions if not carried out by competent “Attendants” using the correct equipment and standard procedures can jeopardize “Patient Safety”. Perhaps this particular aspect of “Patient Safety” as observed by the layman, could also be considered in formulating “Patient Safety Policy.”
Perhaps in drawing up of the new National Health Policy , consideration may also be given to including “Patient’s Rights” as is seen in many countries. Some call it a “Patients’ Bill of Rights”. Future legislation on Public and Private Health Care should include provisions relating to “Patient Safety” and in conjunction, “Patients’ Rights” as well. With Charity to all and Malice to none.
