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Right to Health
CHAPTER
5
5.1 The Commission has consistentiy taken the view that the right to a life with
human dignity, enshrined in the Constitution, must result in the strengthening of
measures to ensure that the people of this country, and particularly those belonging
to economically disadvantaged sections of society, have access to better and more
comprehensive health facilities.
5.2 It was to widen and deepen its own understanding of the issues involved and to
promote the view that the right to an adequate level of health-care was essential to a
life with dignity, that the Commission constituted a Core Advisory Group on Health,
headed by its Chairperson and comprising Professor V Ramalingaswamy, Dr Shanti
Ghosh, Dr Prema Ramachandran, Professor Pravin Visaria, Professor N. Kochupillai,
Professor K. Srinath Reddy and Professor L. M. Nath. The Group was specifically
requested to prepare a plan of action for systemic improvements in the health delivery
systems of the country.
5.3 In keeping with its broad objective to give greater practical meaning to the right
to health care, the Commission organised two major gatherings during the period
under review. The first was a Workshop on Health and Human Rights, with special
reference to Maternal Anaemia, which was held in New Delhi on 26-27 April 2000. The
second was a National Conference on Human Rights and HIV/AIDS, jointly organised
by the Commission with the National AIDS Control Organisation, Lawyers Collective,
UNICEF and UNAIDS, which was held in New Delhi on 24-25 November 2000.
5.4 In both instances, the reports of the Workshop/Conference were subsequently
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION