Right to health care.

The Constitution of India has provisions regarding the right to health. The obligation of the State to ensure the creation and the sustaining of conditions congenial to good health is cast by the Constitutional directives contained in articles 38, 39 (e) (f), 42, 47 and 48 A in Part IV of the Constitution of India In this article following aspects are studied in the light of provisions of constitution of India and various judicial pronouncements: Medico-legal cases and Right to Health Care and Medical Assistance; Medical Examination of rape victim and Right to health care; Working of Blood Banks and Right to Health Care; Cases of HIV/AIDS and Right to health care; Living and working conditions of workers and right to health care; Mentally ill person and right to Health care; Biomedical Waste and Right to Health Care; Pollution and Right to health Care.

Demandas jurídicas por coberturas assistenciais: estudo de caso: CASSI / Healthcare coverage for legal demands: case study: CASSI

A Lei 9.656/1998 fundamenta o marco legal do setor privado da saúde no Brasil. Igualmente importante, a Lei 9.961/2000 criou a Agência Nacional de Saúde Suplementar (ANS) para fiscalizar e regulamentar a relação entre operadoras e beneficiários de planos. A partir de então houve um crescimento expressivo no número das ações judiciais, fenômeno denominado judicialização da saúde. Objetivo: Conhecer e analisar o montante e os motivos das ações judiciais relacionadas às coberturas assistenciais e avaliar o impacto econômico-financeiro em uma entidade de autogestão. Método: Análise de banco de dados das ações judiciais do período 1998 a 2009. A base de dados constitui-se de 7.271 ações cíveis ativas e baixadas. Desse total foram selecionadas 3.569 relacionadas a coberturas assistenciais, cujos dados foram organizados em planilha eletrônica. Analisou-se ainda a população total e o impacto econômico-financeiro a partir de informações de balanço anual. Resultados: Várias constatações importantes foram reveladas, como a evolução crescente do número de ações; o fato de a Bahia possuir 9,5 por cento da população assistida e responder por 33,4 por cento das ações totais; as gastroplastias aparecerem como o objeto mais importante 427 ações (12 por cento do total); o impacto econômico-financeiro atingindo em média 1 por cento da receita total, mas 32 por cento do resultado (superávit) do exercício de 2009, entre outros achados. Conclusão: o marco legal foi determinante para os beneficiários recorrerem ao Judiciário por coberturas assistenciais. O fenômeno da judicialização da saúde impacta de maneira significativa a Autogestão estudada. Boa parte das decisões judiciais parece não observar critérios técnicos relacionados à homologação de novas tecnologias e aos protocolos médicos, o que vem ensejando uma atuação mais ativa do Conselho Nacional de Justiça no encaminhamento de questões relacionadas à saúde.

Law 9.656/1998 moved the legal framework of private health sector in Brazil. Equally important, 9.961/2000 Act created the National Agency for Supplementary Health (ANS) to oversee and regulate the relationship between providers and beneficiaries of plans. Since then there has been significant growth in the number of lawsuits, a phenomenon called the legalization of health. Objective: To investigate and analyze the amount and the reasons for lawsuits related to care coverage and to evaluate the economic and financial impact on a self-insured entity. Methods: Analysis of database of lawsuits in the period 1998-2009. The database consists of 7271 civil actions, active or downloaded. Of this total were selected 3569 related to care coverage, and data were organized into a spreadsheet. It was also analyzed the total population and the economic and financial impact from the annual balance sheet information. Results: Several important findings were revealed as a growing trend in the number of shares, the fact that Bahia has 9.5 per cent of the assisted population and account for 33.4 per cent of the total shares, the gastroplasty appears to be the most important object - 427 shares (12 per cent of total), the economic and financial impact means on average 1 per cent of total revenue, but 32 per cent of the result (surplus) for the year 2009, among other findings. Conclusion: the legal framework was crucial for the beneficiaries to avail themselves of judicial assistance coverage. The phenomenon of legalization of health impacts significantly the self study. Much of judicial decisions seem not to notice technical criteria related to approval of new medical technologies and protocols, which have demanded a more active role of the National Council of Justice in addressing health-related issues.

La regulación de la protección radiológica y la función de las autoridades de salud / Regulating radiological protection and the role of health authorities

En este artículo se presenta una breve síntesis de la evolución de la protección contra las radiaciones ionizantes y se hace una interpretación de su filosofía actual. Se analiza el papel decisivo que deben desempeñar las organizaciones reguladoras en protección radiológica y la importante contribución que pueden brindar las autoridades sanitarias. Estas deberían participar activamente al menos en tres aspectos: la promoción de la educación formal del personal de salud en lo concerniente a la protección radiológica, la atención médica de las personas sobreexpuestas accidentalmente y la protección radiológica de los pacientes en relación con los procedimientos radiológicos. Para lograr esos objetivos, los profesionales sanitarios han de tener los conocimientos necesarios en materia de protección radiológica, promover el uso de los equipos adecuados y aplicar los procedimientos necesarios de garantía de la calidad. La apropiada intervención de las autoridades nacionales de salud puede contribuir en gran medida a reducir las dosis innecesarias en los procedimientos médicos con fuentes de radiación y reducir la probabilidad de que ocurran accidentes radiológicos en este campo.

This article summarizes the development of protection against ionizing radiation and explains current thinking in the field. It also looks at the decisive role that regulatory agencies for radiological protection must play and the important contributions that can be made by health authorities. The latter should take an active part in at least three aspects: the formal education of health personnel regarding radiological protection; the medical care of individuals who are accidentally overexposed, and the radiological protection of patients undergoing radiological procedures. To this end, health professionals must possess sufficient knowledge about radiological protection, promote the use of proper equipment, and apply the necessary quality assurance procedures. Through their effective intervention, national health authorities can greatly contribute to reducing unnecessary doses of radiation during medical procedures involving radiation sources and decrease the chances that radiological accidents will take place.