Health Rights Forum

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Health Rights Forum (HRF)

Health Rights Forums are formed with active citizens who are interested to play an active role voluntarily in improving the quality of health services at the local level. The Forum will act as a robust, effective, and sustainable citizens platform to work as a watchdog body. The forum consists of 9 to 13 members each, including at least 4-6 women members. There are two Health Rights Forums with civil society members at each regional chapter, i.e., District Health Rights Forum (DHRF) at district level and Upazila Health Rights Forum (UHRF) at Upazila level. Some district forum decided to form Union forum also.

Structure of the Health Rights Forums

  1. Member of the HRF are selected from all strata of the society including profession, className, religion and marginalized and ethnic group.
  2. HRF are consisted with 13 members, with at least 4-6 women (minimum one third of total member), who will be based in the district.
  3. Considering acceptability and leadership quality, members will select a member as the Chairperson of the HRF.
  4. Executive Director or representative of the host organisation will act as Member Secretary of the HRF
  5. Duration of the Chairperson will not be more than two years.

Selection Criteria of The Member Of HRF

The persons who will meet the below criteria would be a member of the Regional Chapter:

  1. Permanent citizen of the district.
  2. Physically active and have the interest to visit adopted health institutions at District, Upazila, and Union level.
  3. Voluntary morality and have the interest to work with health institutions.
  4. Socially respected and free from any allegation of corruption.
  5. Politically non-partisan, having no direct or formal involvement in partisan politics.
  6. The person should not have any conflict of interest with health institutions.
  7. No record of conviction of any criminal offense.
  8. Has good social linkage.
  9. Has enough respect for women and women’s rights
  10. Has a clear concept of citizens’ rights and responsibilities.
  11. Minimum 30 years of age.
DHRF Members

Roles of the Health Rights Forums

HRF is principally responsible to carry out advocacy issues at district level with secretarial support by Host Organisation. This forum will act as a steward of other civil society and youth forums active in district, Upazila and Union level. It adopts an upazila for working area. Similarly, Upazila forum selects a union where the forum will work with one or two community clinics.

As a civil society forum, Districts and Upazila Health Rights Forums will work with selected government health service providing institutions like District General Hospital at District level, Upazila Health Complex at Upazila level and one or two Community Clinic at Union level. The Forums will select these institutions after discussion with relevant government health authorities and approval of BHW secretariat. District Forum will be based at District level and will visit the adopted institutions at Upazila and Union level regularly. The Forums will get support from Health Rights Youth forum to collect feedback from the users, collate the feedback and will do necessary advocacy.

Major activities of Health Rights Forum

Organisational FunctionEach forum will arrange meetings considering the need and availability of the members. Member secretary will call the meeting after getting permission from Chairperson. Chairperson will preside the meeting. Members will approve its activity plan and review progress in this meeting.
AdvocacyThe Health Rights Forums will do local level advocacy with the selected health institutions based on their observation, information, user feedback and experience to ensure better and equitable health care service, improve transparency, accountability, and peoples’ participation in government health institution.
CampaignThe Forums will arrange different campaign activities to aware mass people about their health rights and entitlements. As part of mass campaign, a forum can arrange rally, mass gathering, press briefing, local level planning meeting, round table meeting, seminar, distribution of Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials, day observation (e.g. World Health Day on 7 April)
NetworkingThe Forums will pursue other civil society organisations (CSOs) that work for human rights and are working towards similar goals. It will take initiatives to work collaboratively with professionals like journalist, doctors, NGO communities etc.

Citizen's Voice