Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Annexure 8
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A new scheme to provide a Community Health Worker in every village or habitation of
the state should be launched. As part of such a scheme, in tribal areas the Community
Health Worker should be operative at hamlet level. For example, in Maharashtra under the
Pada Swayam Sevak scheme, the full potential of the Pada Swayam Sevaks (PSSs), in tribal
districts now needs to be realized by upgrading their role as has been done in
innovative projects. This may be done by ensuring substantially upgraded training,
integration of curative and preventive roles and preference being given to women in the
selection process.
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Regarding women’s access to health care, availability of all services in a woman-friendly and
sensitive manner at public health facilities must be ensured. This should include assured
round-the-clock maternity services at Sub-centre and PHC level; assured emergency
obstetric and neonatal care at CHC level; facility of diagnosis and treatment of Reproductive
Tract Infections and of infertility; and woman-friendly, quality abortion services.
Simultaneously, quality health care for women beyond reproductive health such as availability
of services by women doctors; supply of iron tablets to all anaemic women irrespective of
being pregnant or not; care for victims of domestic violence, and other services relevant to
women’s health must be ensured.
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Training of staff to increase its sensitivity to groups with special health care needs like
women, children, old people, the mentally and physically challenged.
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Greater sensitivity towards mentally unwell, institutionalised patients, provisions for proper
counseling. Provisions for consent procedures, facilities for legal aid and measures for
rehabilitation and family contact.
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All coercive measures, including incentives and disincentives for limiting family size, which
result in violations of human rights, must be stopped immediately.
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The norms for maintaining quality of service during tubectomy operations must be strictly
followed. For any violation, of these norms responsible persons must be suitably held
accountable and punished. The ‘camp approach’, which often results in poor quality
operative care and violation of various aspects of women’s rights, needs to be seriously
reviewed immediately.
The other recommendations are:
1. Public Health facilities should guarantee a Health Centre within walkable distance with
qualified doctors and infrastructure.
2. Facility to refer patients with serious ailments to specialized hospitals including transport
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