Agartala, June 23: Emphasizing the inseparable link between healthcare and human rights, Chairman of the Tripura Human Rights Commission, Justice Arindam Lodh, on Tuesday called for a patient-centric healthcare system that prioritizes dignity, equality, and ethical responsibility in medical practice.
Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Human Rights in the Health Care Domain”, organized by ILS Hospitals Agartala, Justice Lodh underscored that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right and not merely a service. The programme was held at the ILS Auditorium and attended by doctors, nursing personnel, healthcare professionals, and students from across the state.
In his keynote address, Justice Lodh stressed that principles such as informed consent, patient confidentiality, non-discrimination, and respectful treatment must be upheld at every level of healthcare delivery. He said that these rights are essential to ensuring trust between patients and healthcare providers and are central to the functioning of an equitable healthcare system.
“Access to quality healthcare, informed consent, confidentiality, and respectful treatment are not privileges but fundamental human rights,” Justice Lodh stated while urging healthcare institutions and professionals to integrate human rights principles into their daily practices.
The seminar also witnessed the presence of senior representatives from ILS Hospitals, including Kishore Ambuly, Group Advisor, Dr. Gautam Hazarika, Chief Operating Officer of ILS Hospitals Agartala, and Dr. Subhrajyoti Bhowmik, Vice President – Clinical & Quality. They echoed the need for transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in healthcare delivery, emphasizing that patient welfare must remain the foremost priority of every medical institution.
Deliberations during the seminar focused on raising awareness among healthcare professionals regarding their legal and ethical responsibilities while highlighting the importance of safeguarding patient rights through institutional reforms and improved service delivery mechanisms.
Participants engaged in discussions on the challenges and opportunities involved in promoting a rights-based healthcare framework. Organizers noted that the event formed part of a broader initiative to foster a healthcare environment where compassion, ethics, and respect for human dignity complement clinical excellence.
The seminar concluded with a collective commitment to strengthening patient rights and advancing ethical healthcare practices across Tripura’s medical sector.
