Human rights and healthcare are two main aspects of people’s life. They are vital to ensure everybody in society is living safely and peacefully. In layman’s terms, high-quality healthcare is the fundamental right of every being on this planet, regardless of race, social standing, financial stature, or political belief. It implies that all people should have access to clean and safe drinking water, nutritious food, proper sanitation, education, housing, and safe working conditions.
Nobody should get sick and die because they didn’t have access to medical services, healthy food or were simply a target of racial discrimination. However, the right to health also includes that people should have control over their health. For example, they should have the choice to visit whatever doctor they desire, instead of settling on the one provided by health services.
It is the reason why worldwide agencies such as WHO promotes that medical facilities focus on patient-centered care. It is the epitome of human rights. Lack of attention or violation of these fundamental human rights has severe health and social consequences. Such violations contribute more to the already existing negligence issues and expose underprivileged people to human rights abuse.
However, that does not mean we can’t take some steps to prevent disadvantaged people from facing such issues. Through positive change, we can ensure that everyone treats everyone with respect and value. Let us look below to find out things we can do to bring a positive difference in the society.
Complete Utilization Of All Resources
Human rights and healthcare are universal. They apply to the entire population wherever they are. They are related to education, freedom, free treatment, and food. All of these aspects correlate with each other—improvement in one of these aspects facilitates the others. One way to improve society in light of healthcare and human rights is to utilize all resources at hand.
It requires that the relevant authorities take specific steps to eliminate any racial discrimination, mistreatment, or abuse in the judicial, legal, and healthcare system as quickly as possible. Such action will ensure equal treatment and give access to all necessary facilities a human being requires, regardless of their financial standing in society.
For example, the human development department should assign individuals having a human development degree online or a campus-based one to check on all facilities that the community receives. If any mistreatment or racial abuse occurs, they will report back to the government, who will then use the resources at hand to solve these issues.
Avoiding Inequality And Discrimination
According to research conducted by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), black people and other minorities receive a lower quality of medical treatments and procedures than their white counterparts. Government agencies and healthcare officials are usually responsible for promoting human rights and providing good quality healthcare.
However, racial discrimination and inequality is the norm these days. There is and always will be an aspect of unequal treatment when, let’s say, someone visits a healthcare facility.
Government agencies, such as WHO, should enforce laws and policies that promote equal treatment regardless of their background, race, gender, religion, or political standpoint. They should also ensure that underprivileged people with physical and mental abilities get treatment like other ordinary people.
Doing so will promote equal treatment of all individuals in all facilities, whether medical or government. Suppose there comes a time when somebody does not abide by these rules and policies. In that case, there should be strict action against the individual who broke said laws and policies.
Proper Handling Of Medical Data
Proper handling of health information is the bread and butter of individuals who have Health Information Management Degrees. They have to ensure that patient medical information remains secure and free from prying eyes. However, when handling such vast data, complacency can quickly come in the way.
Or, there can be other issues such as favoritism. The patient information that reaches the doctor is of utmost importance for him/her if they wish to provide the correct treatment for a specific disease, virus, or medical condition.
But, there is always an aspect of malpractice when handling healthcare information. Professional jealousy will still exist in the workplace. People will step on other people’s toes to move up the hierarchy.
Although they do it for personal gains; what they don’t know is that it affects the patient’s treatment. Indeed, someone with good connections in the healthcare industry can avoid such a thing. But, someone who doesn’t have the links will suffer the most from the after-effects of professional jealousy.
Creating Developmental Initiatives
Disparities and inequalities begin at an early stage. And to reduce them requires investments. Research shows that if you start early with promoting equality, it can dramatically affect a person’s later life stages. For instance, the Perry preschool program is a two-year early childhood intervention program.
Here children from the African-American background participate in a control group. The program consisted of morning sessions and afternoon sessions, one in school and one at home.
The research found that ten-year-old children who received this intervention had a higher IQ level than those who didn’t. When they turned forty, they had high-income leadership positions, didn’t commit any crimes, adequate health insurance, and avoided racially abusive behavior.
It showed that when parents get involved with their children, they will grow up to hold jobs and possibly avoid racially discriminatory behavior at the workplace. Suppose more and more parents adopt this approach. In that case, it will surely bring a positive change in society as numerous people become advocates of equal rights.
Conclusion
Eliminating inequalities in the healthcare sector requires integrated efforts, public initiatives, and awareness. Society demands that government and other healthcare agencies invest their time, money, and resources in educating people. There is so much more we still need to learn regarding human behavior and what triggers people into abusive ones.
However, suppose we impart education to individuals at the early stages of their life. In that case, there will be a chance that we might get rid of such disparities in health and human rights. Other than that, the ways mentioned in this article will provide you with a stepping stone to bring about a change in society.