The Jana Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA),CSHFR, CCWD, SAHAYOG, BGVS and HRlN, besides other civil society and patient rights groups have demanded amendment in the Odisha Clinical Establishment (Regulations) Act, 1990.

“We have an Old Clinical Establishment Act since 1991, which does nothing, except registration of private clinics. The law is silent about patients’ right. On the contrary, the Central Government has instructed to all the States to frame the rule on the basis of Central Act 2012. But our State has not taken any initiative in this regard.

Further, the existing private clinics are putting pressure for more relaxation on the existing Act,” said the activists at a Press meet here.

They demanded that the State Government of Odisha amend the existing law requiring every clinic to provide basic emergency care. Besides they presented a list of recommendations for inclusion in the law.

“The draft CEA 2017 is not a perfect; it has many problems and issues that have not been covered. Protection of patient's rights and grievance redressal mechanism for patients would prove to be a landmark step towards giving relief to patients who are discontent with the medical sector," they said.

The Act should provide opportunity for monitoring of the private sector in terms of patients rights and schemes like RSBY, BKKY, OSTF of which the private sector has been the biggest beneficiary, they demanded.

Gouranga Mohapatra , Chandranath Dani, Sadasib Swain, Bijayalaxmi Rautaray, Akhand Mishra, Sujata Dash and Bikram Swain among others were present.