The state of Assam in India is about to assign healthcare as a basic right for its residents. The matter is not voted on yet but the papers seem to hint that this bill will soon be law. This is a first for India and it will open the floodgates which will force the rest of the states to follow suit. The skepticism regarding feasibility and the more sinister search for the benefactors kept aside, this is a brave piece of legislation which will lead to some good.
The government in the state in pursuit of whatever political mileage points has taken up the burden of affording its citizens access to some form of public healthcare. Mind you, they are doing no one any favors. Under Article 47 of the Constitution of India's Directive Principles of State Policy the state is required to do exactly this:
Article 47:
"The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties... "
There are other such Directive Principles in that document which are equally revealing about the state's responsibilities, a pity that none of them are binding on the state. No court can force them to do the right thing, for that they have to grow a conscience and by 'they' I also mean we.
All the legislators everywhere are really our mouthpieces, its called upward delegation in a democracy. They play a game where they try to guess what would please us and go about doing it - like a child would in trying to impress a parent. When the game gets too hard and it becomes difficult to ascertain public taste or mood some get distracted and go and do what politicians are cursed for doing.
But once in a while they get their act together and either by accident or plan actually do their job of lawmaking diligently. And when they do, it is important to note that these lawmakers are only an instrument of enforcing public will, nothing more. So acknowledge their contributions but there is no need to feel grateful.
Link:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-a-first-Assam-to-guarantee-right-to-health/articleshow/5673849.cms
2 comments:
I agree. And I don't think it's enough. They simply assign it as a right, it is not being provided for. People need more.
@Yushka
No matter what laws are in place, to provide universal healthcare vast resources of men and material are needed. So in a poor country like India, people better still save for a rainy day and look out for themselves..no checks can be cashed when you know there are insufficient funds.
Still, having a healthcare law is atleast a nod to the socialist ethos stated in the constitution - we have the best lyrics and the worst dancing!
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