Patient care is an important aspect of the right to health that requires attention as a human right. The practice reveals huge numbers, and serious violations of this right. In response to increasing concerns about respecting the right to health in many parts of the world, the phrase and the concept of “human rights in patient care” is showing that there is an abuse in health care facilities everywhere in the world. Call Jeff today if you need any legal help.
Human rights in health care
The concept of human rights in patient care refers to the theoretical and practical application of the general principles of human rights, especially with the interaction between patients and health care professionals. In the Dorland-Conn’s medical dictionary “patient care” is defined as “services given and received by members of the medical profession and non-medical profession under supervision in order to benefit the patient.” This is different from “health care and protection” when the services are provided “in order to promote, maintain, monitor or provide health care to patients.”
Instead of providing the expected adequate health protection and care, patients and health professionals are often being faced with violations of the rights of health care, and even violation of the dignity of the patient that often impairs health outcome. These abuses are moving into a wide range of pervasive human rights violations, violation of confidentiality, privacy and non-discrimination, offenses such as torture and violence, inhuman and degrading treatment.
Social isolation is often the basis for discrimination of patients. This is critical because it happens to entire groups of marginalized populations such as people with HIV, ethnic minorities, gender discrimination, people who are drug addicts, people with disabilities, and others. The established International Working Group on dual loyalty by doctors of Human rights in 1983 described 6 types of human rights violations that are generated through the conflicts of dual loyalty. Many of these violations are known to those who support and fight for the health and human rights of marginalized populations.
The principles of respect for human rights requires the services rendered to patients who meet the criteria and standards set at regional and international level and comply with agreements. These standards can be found in several sources, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture, and many others.
If you feel that your rights as a patient have been violated, note that you have all the right to ask for a legal help, making sure that everyone who committed a crime is punished and receives the right treatment. As a citizen of the country where you live in, you have the right for a medical care and you are allowed to fight for it if a crime has been committed. So, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with a lawyer and discuss possibilities and option that favor your right as a patient.