First Advocacy Meet to Combat Medical Negligence Held

Guwahati, May 14 (PTI) A nationwide movement ‘Stop Medical Terrorism’ was initiated today by a group of victims of medical negligence and supporters of the cause under the platform of Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust, Guwahati, demanding better health care services in India.

At its first advocacy meet, Dr Putul Mahanta, researcher of medico legal practices at Tezpur Medical College, spoke about the growing rate of medico legal issues in the country and their root causes.

Another speaker R Chandranathan, Additional Director General of Assam Police, expressed his views on combating the alleged criminal negligence of medical profession. Prof Srinath Baruah, former Vice Chancellor of Krishna Kanta Handique Open University, said 90 per cent doctors are dedicated and only a few are selfish.

He advocated that all surgical operations be video recorded for transparency.

A few victims of this movement also shared their views on the pain, and humiliation that patients and their family members face because of ‘harassment’ by doctors.

Dr Ankuran Dutta, convenor of this movement and managing trustee of Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust, urged all the victims and well wishers to support this movement by sending an SMS with the text JOIN ATRUST to 9220092200 or by giving a missed call to 02262116842.

At the meeting it was resolved that June 25 will be organised as the nationwide protest day against ‘medical terrorism’ and July 19 will be observed as the Anti-Medical Terrorism Day.

Source: The Arunachal Times, 15 May, 2016

Activists Launch Drive Against "Medical Terrorism"

Guwahati: With more and more people falling prey to medical negligence in the state, a group of victims met here on Saturday to combat what it called 'medical terrorism'.

The victims launched 'Stop Medical Terrorism', a campaign seeking a separate law to combat medical negligence, under the aegis of Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust. An 'SMS and missed-call' service was also launched to help victims of medical negligence join the forum.

"The recent incident of a child receiving HIV-positive blood during a routine transfusion at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is shocking. Around 52 lakh medical injuries are recorded in the country. 98,000 people lose their lives every year because of medical negligence," said Ankuran Dutta, managing trustee of Dr Anamika Ray Memorial Trust.

Members said the forum is not aimed at maligning doctors or the medical profession but creating awareness about rising cases of medical negligence in the country. They expressed concern over growing 'capitalism' in the profession which makes the poor and the middle class vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) on Friday filed a writ petition at Gauhati high court on behalf of the father of the boy who received contaminated blood. HRLN sought a court-monitored committee to investigate the incident and punish those responsible.

HRLN, in its petition, said the boy should be kept at GMCH till he recovers from the burn injuries for which he was being treated. It also asked for monetary relief from the state government.

Members of HRLN told TOI that the condition of other state-run health centres and blood banks was also pitiable. Last year, they found that there was not a single blood bank in Baksa district.

Source: TNN, Times of India, 15 May, 2016