'Health rights must in the Constitution'

The Permission granted to government medical practitioners to indulge in private practice may be the only cause or the deterioration of the health services. As a consequence, government quarters of all doctors turned out to be private dispensaries overnight, said Sirimal Peires, Convener of the National People's Health Forum (NPHF) addressing the inaugural session of the establishment of Badulla chapter of NPHF.

This was better seen in remote villages more than in urban areas. Most of them associate hand in hand with companies which help in investigations or diagnoses and as such keep introducing harmful services to the public, he said.

It is reported that they keep prescribing expensive drugs by their trade names and also make patients undergo unnecessary investigations. The communities of Sri Lanka believe that free healthcare is one of their supreme rights.

This has been the practice from generation to generation by subsequent governments. Actually, the government of Sri Lanka is not bound by legislation to carry it out. As such privatization of health services is being carried out step by step. Most probably, in time to come, government hospitals may become only healthcare awareness centres.

In order to avoid this situation, a statement stressing the right of the people to have free health services should be formulated and included in the Government Constitution under basic human rights of the people. If such an act is respected as a responsible government who comes into power would be bound to accept it honestly. In its failure, a citizen would be entitled to find justice through court action in order to protect their rights accordingly. If such a statement is included in the Constitution, it would be compulsory for any future government to make necessary allocations of funds for healthcare services so that the citizens well reap the benefits, he added.

CBOs, NGOs, Lawyers, Doctors, Clergy, Journalists, Trade unionist, representative of private nursing homes attended the event which was held in FIOH seminar hall in Kanupelella, Badulla. G.A. Prabath Kumara was elected as the Convener of the Badulla People's Health Forum.