Health Protection Act must safeguard patients, healthcare workers: Experts

Health rights groups and legal experts have called for the proposed Health Protection Act to ensure patients’ rights, establish an impartial mechanism to investigate allegations of medical negligence, and protect doctors and healthcare workers from violence and harassment while on duty.

The call was made at an online webinar titled “Health Protection Act: Citizens’ Expectations”, organised by the Centre for Law and Policy Affairs (CLPA), Public Health Lawyers Network and Citizen Network today.

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The call came as a health ministry committee is working to prepare a draft of Health Protection Act, following several attempts over the years to enact such legislation.

Speakers said the proposed law should guarantee patients’ access to quality, non-discriminatory healthcare, information about their medical conditions and treatment, informed consent, privacy, and respectful treatment.

They called for a transparent, independent and accessible mechanism to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints of medical negligence, malpractice and violations of patients’ rights.

The law should also distinguish genuine negligence from unavoidable medical complications and adverse treatment outcomes, they said.

At the same time, doctors and healthcare workers need protection from physical attacks, threats and harassment, particularly given the heavy patient loads, staff shortages and limited infrastructure in public hospitals and emergency care facilities.

Speakers stressed that such protections must not obstruct investigations into medical negligence or violations of patients’ rights. Similarly, safeguards should be in place against baseless complaints and undue harassment of healthcare workers.

Advocate Syed Mahbubul Alam, secretary of CLPA, presented the keynote paper. Kamrunnesa Munna, senior policy analyst at CLPA, moderated the webinar.

The event was chaired by AKM Maksud, president of Gram Bangla Unnayan Committee and a member of Citizen Network (CINet).