City NGO Launches #ARMTHealth Portal On Patients’ Rights Day

Guwahati NGO Dr. Anamika Ray Memorial Trust (ARMT) launched #ARMTHealth portal under its official YouTube channel on the occasion of Patients' Rights Day on Friday.

The five-year-old Trust observes 25^th June as 'Patients' Rights Day' as an integral part of the nationwide movement 'Stop Medical Terrorism' that it has been leading since 2016.

The main objective behind observing this day is to create awareness that patients also have their own rights and responsibilities.

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"There is no other way to observe this day than launching #ARMTHealth portal in the Assamese language under the YouTube channel of ARMT. As health awareness has remained the genesis of this Trust; I believe this portal of health videos will serve the purpose. I would like to acknowledge the supports extended by several doctors of the region for the successful launch of this portal", said Prof. Madhab C. Sarma, Chairperson of the Trust.

ARMT uploaded its first health video on 'Importance of Breastfeeding' under the portal on Friday marking the observance of Patients' Rights Day.

The Trust will come up with a new video on different health issues every week. It urges people to be aware of various health issues simply subscribing to the portal by going through the link

"As all the people are patients in one way or the other, it is absolutely necessary to create awareness among the people on health issues first in order to understand their own rights and responsibilities as patients. And therefore, this #ARMTHealth video portal is launched to enlighten them on different health issues each week", said Rajat Baran Mahanta, Vice Chair of the Trust and formerly Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam.

The Trust in consultation with a few doctors and medical researchers of National repute drafted 10 rights and 10 responsibilities of the patients in 2016 and circulated for the first time on 25th June 2016 in over 20 languages across the country to observe the Patients' Rights Day.

"We have written to the health department from time to time about the importance of these 20 specific points and earnestly appeal them to make a policy to display these rights and responsibilities in all public funded hospitals, privately owned hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical shops and pharmacies in the state", said Dr. Ankuran Dutta, the Managing Trustee of ARMT, who also heads the Communication and Journalism department at Gauhati University.

During the COVID period, the Trust has also compiled a number of multimedia interactive documents on COVID-19 general awareness and promotion of Covid Appropriate Behaviours among the universal population. Amongst these, 'COVID Katha' and 'Beyond COVID' have gained much popularity among the people. One can visit the link www.armt.in and download the documents to create a chain of mass awareness.

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