GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.
The next step is a constitutional right to health
Context: Pandemic has exposed and aggravated the cracks in our health-care systems and given life to the demand for the constitutional ‘Right to Health for all’.
Importance of Right to Health
A constitutional ‘Right to Health’ will transform not only the health and well-being of people but will act as a leap for the economic and developmental progress of the nation.
The vision for Ayushman Bharat will be strengthened with a constitutional ‘Right to Health’.
The immediate financial security that will come with the constitutional ‘Right to Health’ will be seen as a measurable impact on family savings, greater investment, and jobs creation on the one hand, and in the long-term emotional, psychological and social security of people.
Importance of ‘Right to Health’ for children
A large number of children who belong to the poorest and most marginalised communities of our country grow up working in hazardous situations be it fields, mines, brick kilns or factories
When rescued, these children are ridden with complex health impacts of working — primarily tuberculosis, skin diseases, eyesight impairment, and malnutrition, besides the substantial mental health impact.
These children have been denied a safety net of early childhood care and protection, the consequences of which are felt for a lifetime.
The ‘Right to Health’ will help transition the children in exploitative conditions into a safer future.
Conclusion
The right to free and compulsory education was arguably one of the most valuable legacies of the decade of 2000s.
A constitutional amendment to introduce the ‘Right to Health for India’ can be the legacy of this decade.
