Wockhardt hospitals has launched the "patient care rights" in India, becoming the first hospital in the country to launch such an initiative aimed at establishing the rights of every person who is in receipt of medical care at its facilities to protect his dignity or privacy.

Outlining the details of the programme, Vishal Bali, vice-president operations, Wockhardt Hospitals, told PTI that under this initiative, patients would have the right to receive best medical care for their problem, irrespective of race, religion, national origin or source of payment of their medical care.

They (patients) will have the right to be "treated respectfully by others, will have the right to privacy, the right to seek information required in order for them to understand the medical condition, the right to choose the doctor they wish to consult for their treatment," he said.

Above all, they will also have the right to leave the hospital against the advice of the doctor unless infected with a disease that may influence the health of others.

Lokayukta Justice Venkatachala, who launched the programme, feels the intiative "will win the confidence of the patients and facilitate better delivery of quality global standards of healthcare."

Patients who often face problems while seeking to know the details of their bills will have the right to understand and receive information on payment of hospital bills on a day-to-day basis in accordance with the policies of the hospital, Bali said.

Without having to think twice, the patients will have the right to complain when something is wrong in the delivery of medical care offered, he stressed.

However, the patients will have some responsibilities as well, as far as their health and healthcare services is concerned. First and foremost, "they must repose faith in the doctor and must be open about their illness, while comprehending all aspects of medicare being offered," he said.

They must respect the right to privacy of other patients and observe hospital rules like prompt clearance of their hospital dues, Bali said.

As soon as a patient registers himself in any of the Wockhardt Hospitals, he gets the patient rights document. The programme is already operational in all the four Wockhardt hospitals in Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur, he added.