Malnutrition among children and women and shortage of doctors are hampering health sector in the country, NHRC chairman Justice (retd) K G Balakrishnan said today, underlining that making right to health a fundamental right will be a way forward in improving healthcare services.
"Malnutrition particularly in children and women, shortage of funds, doctors and para-medical staff, improvement in medical education system to make it more need-based are various issues impacting the health sector," Balakrishnan said on the concluding day of the two-day national conference on 'Health Care as a Human Right'.
He said some of the states have implemented cost-effective methods in healthcare, which should be replicated as a model throughout the country.
During the conference, the experts came out with a set of recommendations, which he said will be sent to the Government for implementation.
Earlier, Union Health Secretary Kesav Desiraju had said that if the accessibility of health services is ensured, there may not be any need of a legislation for right to health.
He appreciated the issues and some of the innovative ideas raised during the deliberations and agreed that registration of births and deaths in all states would ensure better policy direction.
The set of recommendations mainly focused on availability, accessibility, quality and affordability of healthcare services through better regulation, integration and convergence of state and central child and maternal health schemes, providing potable water and promoting hygiene and sanitation through policy and awareness.
In the conference the experts also suggested that medical care facility should be provided to labourers and those exposed to occupational health hazards, and emphasised on the appointment of Health Ombudsperson in every district to ensure accountability of health services, augmentation and production of generic drugs.
