Patients' Council

Become a member today & take part in the healthcare discourse

Objective

The Patients' Council has the potential to play a significant role in making healthcare in India patient-driven. By taking the various programs of the government to the beneficiaries, advocating for patient rights and interests, educating patients, and empowering patients to become more active participants in their own healthcare, the Patients' Council can help to create a healthcare system that is more responsive to the needs and priorities of patients.

Function

Information dissemination of various health policies, programs, and schemes of the government at the state and national level to improve the coverage and usage of various government schemes.
Seek feedback on various policies and programs of the government from the patients and share inputs with the appropriate government bodies/policy-makers.
Advocating for patient rights and interests at all levels of government and healthcare policymaking.
Educating patients and the public about their healthcare rights and responsibilities.
Empowering patients to become more active participants in their own healthcare.
Promoting patient-centered care and shared decision-making.
Supporting the development and implementation of patient-driven quality improvement initiatives.
Facilitating communication and collaboration between patients, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.
Developing and disseminating educational materials on patient rights and responsibilities, patient-centered care, and shared decision-making.
Organizing workshops and seminars to train patients and patient advocates on how to advocate for their rights and interests.
Developing a strategic plan to guide the Patients' Council's work over the next three to five years.

Structure

The Patients' Council will be governed by a National Executive Committee (NEC) composed of elected representatives from the state chapters. The NEC will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Patients' Council, overseeing its operations, and representing the interests of patients at the national level.

Each state chapter will have its own Executive Committee, which will be responsible for implementing the Patients' Council's strategic goals and objectives at the state level. The state chapters will also be responsible for onboarding and supporting members, advocating for patient rights and interests at the state level, and collaborating with local healthcare providers and other stakeholders.

Organization - Tenure

The number of members will be decided by the IPU Secretariat.
The tenure of the Patients' Council will be for a period of two years.
Membership of the Patients' Council can be renewed for another term based on extraordinary contributions.
Those who fail to attend three consecutive meetings will be removed automatically from the Patients' Council.
Membership will be based on a rotation basis – 1/3rd will retire every year.

Membership

Membership in the Patients' Council will be open to all Indian citizens (phase 1) who are interested in promoting patient-driven healthcare. Members will be encouraged to participate in the Patients' Council's activities, including attending meetings, volunteering their time, and advocating for patient rights and interests. Membership of the Patients' Council will not have any fee associated with it.

Let's transform Healthcare.

Be a member of the Patients' Council.

Applications Open

Funding

The Patients' Council will be funded through a combination of grants, donations or sponsorships.

Operations

The Patients' Council will operate on a bi-monthly basis. The secretariat will be provided by the International Patients' Union and will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the NEC and the state chapters, providing support to members, and managing the Patients' Council's finances.

Actions

The Patients' Council will engage in a variety of activities to achieve its goals, including:

Evaluation

The Patients' Council will regularly evaluate its performance to ensure that it is effectively achieving its goals. The evaluation will focus on the following key areas:

Contribution to various initiatives of IPU.
The impact on healthcare policy and practice.
The effectiveness in educating and empowering patients.
The ability to facilitate communication and collaboration between patients and other stakeholders.
The Patients' Council will use the findings of the evaluation to improve its programs and services.