“I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to service of humanity.” This is the first sentence a doctor utters while taking an oath when s/he enters into the medical profession. They are considered as God by people despite knowing the fact that they are human, as the profession gives ‘hope’ to live to a patient and his family. But due to the increasing number of medico legal issues in the country, there is a serious concern about the doctor-patient relationship. To raise awareness among the patients about their rights and responsibilities as patients and to build up a strong, safe and healthy doctor patient relationship, the Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust has been decided to observe June 25 as Patients’ Rights Day under the “STOP MEDICAL TERRORISM” movement for better and transparent healthcare services in India. The Trust feels happy that a few civil society organisations such as Ahom Sena, Priyobandhu, CLPF etc. have come forward to support the cause and make it a vibrant movement.
The Trust, in consultation with a panel of medical professionals of national and international repute, drafted the Patients’ Rights in 10 points and the responsibilities in another 10 points. The Rights and Responsibilities of the patients will be available at http://smt.armt.in on June 23rd in many languages. It's a two page document. The Trust requests everyone to support the cause by downloading the document in their preferred language, printing it out and distributing it among patients in any hospital in India. The Trust believes that this initiative may save hundreds of lives and will be a great contribution for better and more transparent healthcare services in India. To let others know, the Trust also requests supporters to post a photo of the distribution of the document with #patientsrightsday in any social media.
The rights mentioned in the draft include the right to get the best possible medical care without discrimination; right to prompt, life-saving treatment; right to take part in all decisions relating to one’s health care; right to privacy; right to know the identity and role of people involved in treatment; right to dignity and to have caregivers’ respect; right to appropriate assessment and management of pain; right to receive visitors; right to refuse treatment and to leave the medical centre; and right to get necessary information related to the line of treatment as well as all health records.
The responsibilities mentioned in the draft include the responsibility to refrain from misbehaving and misconduct towards any medical service providers; responsibility to refrain from physical assault of any healthcare personnel or damage to property; responsibility to be truthful; responsibility to provide complete and accurate medical history; responsibility to cooperate with the agreed line of treatment; responsibility to meet the financial obligations; responsibility to refrain from initiating, participating or supporting fraudulent and illegal health care practices; responsibility to report illegal or unethical behaviour; responsibility to get a post-mortem done and responsibility to discuss end of life decisions.
The Trust reiterates that the purpose of the movement is to bring about improvement in health care services in the country through legislation aimed at systemic changes. It is a distant and difficult goal but the movement is determined to succeed so that victims of Medical Terrorism can find justice, so that doctors who wish to and are trying to make a difference through their actions can do so with greater ease, and so that there is greater and justified trust in the relationship between medical professionals and patients. The Trust urges the public not to be swayed by divertive and misleading arguments and to support the movement.
3 Jun 2016 - 11:03pm | Shajid Khan
The Udalguri district All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) and BODO WOMEN JUSTICE FORUM (BWJF) staged a two hour sit-in protest at Harisinga on Friday against the barbarous torture and alleged attempt to...
7 Aug 2007 - 12:26pm | editor
Jorhat : There was a bomb blast at Jorhat in front of Sadar Police station at 6.45 PM on Tuesday evening. The bomb was planted in a pan shop. Total 3 people have been killed, 18 are injured, out of...
16 Mar 2017 - 2:34am | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
The ABSU and it’s allied movement groups NDFB(P),PJACBM have called off the fast unto death indefinite hunger strike after 120-hours on its day six in Kokrajhar today. Promod Boro,president of...
2 Feb 2016 - 4:06pm | Gwshad Basumatary
The silver jubilee celebration of Bessie Memorial English School (BMES), Kokrajhar began today with much pomp and gaiety. According to the schedule, the programme started at around 4 pm where David...
Guwahati, December 18, 2024: The School of Social Work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus, held its first-ever Inhmukhawm: Field Work Organisations’ Meet on Wednesday. The event, themed "Buen Vivr: Co-building a Sustainable and Just Future," brought together nearly 100 participants, including grassroots organizations, NGOs, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) representatives. Aligning with the International World Social Work Day 2024, the gathering focused on social work, sustainability, and justice, providing a platform for dialogue, learning, and collaborative innovation to enhance student fieldwork initiatives.
The event commenced with a warm...
Guwahati, Assam: The Business Incubation Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture (BICFA) at Guwahati Biotech Park (GBP), under the Department of Science, Technology & Climate Change, Government of Assam, successfully organized a three-day hands-on training program on Feed Analysis and Nutrient Composition of Animal and Fish Feed. The program aimed to educate startups, researchers, and students and was held at GBP and the Feed Testing Laboratory, Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary Sciences, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Khanapara.
Dr. Bula Choudhury, Senior Scientist at GBP and Convener of the program, welcomed the participants. She highlighted the vision of...
A transformative gathering of educators took place at the Mayflower Hotel in Guwahati, where 76 educators from 38 schools across Assam and Meghalaya came together for WWF-India’s Educators’ Conclave 2024 on November 29. The event focused on empowering educators to instill environmental stewardship and climate literacy in students, while sharing innovative strategies to make schools sustainable and eco-conscious hubs of learning.
With the theme “Raising Generation 30,” the conclave explored actionable ideas for transforming education systems to address pressing environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
“The role of educators in shaping future environmental...
Chandigarh: Former cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has shared an inspiring story of his wife's recovery from cancer, attributing her remarkable progress to a strict diet plan inspired by ancient Indian Ayurveda, Nobel Prize-winning research on autophagy by Yoshinori Ohsumi, and guidance from medical experts. The plan, Sidhu revealed, helped his wife recover in just 40 days after undergoing surgeries, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies.
Speaking to the media, Sidhu expressed his gratitude for the holistic approach, which combined positivity, lifestyle changes, and a disciplined nutritional regimen. “Positivity, determination, and the right diet can create miracles,” he said...
The Directorate of Cultural Affairs under the Assam government marked its 53rd anniversary with a historic event celebrating the recognition of Asomiya (Assamese) as a classical language. Held at the iconic Rabindra Bhawan, the evening highlighted the significance of this achievement and charted a roadmap for the language's preservation and growth in written and colloquial forms.
The courtyard of Rabindra Bhawan, adorned with vibrant decorations and a podium beneath lush Bokul trees, hosted an enthusiastic audience of dignitaries and scholars. As the sun dipped below the Brahmaputra’s horizon, the program commenced with three distinguished panelists sharing their insights.
The...
Tensions escalated in Manipur’s violence-hit Jiribam district on Sunday night as clashes between security forces and protesters turned deadly, officials reported. A young protester, identified as 21-year-old K. Athouba, was fatally shot amid the chaos. A police official confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine who fired the fatal shot, while protesters allege that a Manipur Police special commando unit was responsible. Two others were reported injured in the incident.
The violence erupted as mobs attacked and vandalized properties belonging to political leaders and various party offices. According to police reports, the unrest began at Babupara before spreading to other...
The body of a tiger was discovered in the Horonbali Chapori area of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, located in Assam’s Biswanath district, on Monday. Forest guards came across the carcass during a routine patrol and alerted senior officials, who subsequently arrived at the scene to recover the remains.
Preliminary findings suggest that the tiger may have died as a result of a fight with another tiger. To confirm the exact cause of death, samples will be sent to a forensic laboratory for further analysis. The disposal of the carcass was carried out under the supervision of senior forest officials and veterinary doctors.
Kaziranga National Park, recognized as a Tiger Reserve...
Guwahati Police has successfully busted a cybercrime gang involved in a major fraud operation. Eight individuals were arrested following a raid at a lodge in Boragaon.
The gang was operating a network of "mule bank accounts" to facilitate the transfer of illegally obtained money. The arrested individuals were involved in opening bank accounts using fake identities and documents. They would then hand over these accounts to cybercriminals who used them to launder money obtained through online scams.
The police seized numerous items, including mobile phones, ATM cards, cheque books, and electronic devices, from the arrested individuals. A case has been registered against the accused, and...
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, to six police stations across five districts in Manipur. This decision, effective immediately, will remain in place until March 31, 2025.
The affected areas include Sekmai, Lamsang, Lamlai, Jiribam, Leimakhong, and Moirang police stations in Imphal West, Imphal East, Jiribam, Kangpokpi, and Bishnupur districts. The extension is aimed at empowering security forces to conduct coordinated operations and address the ongoing ethnic violence and insurgent activity in the region.
The MHA's decision follows a comprehensive review of the security situation in Manipur, which continues to be volatile...
The voting under by-polls in six assembly constituencies of Assam and Meghalaya, conducted to fill up the vacant seats (as the respective legislators had shifted their focus to the national politics after winning the recently conducted Lok Sabha polls), ended largely peacefully on Wednesday evening with a satisfactory over 70% voters’ turn out. The fate of all candidates is stored in the electronic voting machines, which will be opened on 23 November next. Along with these seats, by-polls for over 40 assembly constituencies (along with two Lok Sabha seats) in other parts of India are on the card along with the State assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand before the counting day...
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