NHRC preparing comprehensive guidelines on healthcare

New Delhi, Sept 4 (PTI) Concerned over violation of rights of patients, National Human Rights Commission is preparing "comprehensive" guidelines on healthcare with special emphasis on mental illness and communicable diseases. These guidelines will include all issues relating to healthcare with special emphasis on mental illness and communicable diseases like AIDS, sources in NHRC said.

Guidelines will be finalised after approval of an expert committee of NHRC, the sources said. The rights body had recently expressed concern over violation of rights especially of persons suffering from mental illness.

Addressing a review meeting on mental healthcare in Pune in July, NHRC member P C Sharma had noted that "there are instances where mentally challenged persons who require long stay in medical care have been languishing in hospitals in absence of rehabilitation measures". He had also said that health care system in general and mental health in particular was suffering from a number of deficiencies in the country.

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