Greater
Kashmir: Srinagar: Saturday, 05 December 2015.
The J&K
State Information Commission (SIC) has direted GB Pant Hospital here to make
available all information to the applicants which is vital for treatment and
safety of patients.
Meanwhile,
Civil Society has called for wider application of the judgement to cover all
healthcare facilities.
Disposing of
an RTI complaint, the SIC has issued directions to GB Pant Hospital, Kashmir’s
lone paediatric hospital, to make information necessary for patient care
public.
The order
directs the Public Authority of GB Pant Hospital, who in this case is Medical
Superintendent of the said hospital, to upload all information that may have
direct or indirect effect on the cure, protection and safeguard of human life
(at the hospital).
Stakeholders
across the board have welcomed the orders of SIC and called it a guiding
document for voluntary disclosure of vital information by hospitals.
The order
issued by Chief Information Commissioner, G R Sufi, invokes Section 4 of
J&K State RTI Act 2009 that makes it mandatory on the government
departments and institutions to make voluntary disclosure of information.
Dr Altaf
Hussain, senior paediatrician and activist, said, “This (J&K SIC judgement)
should act as a guideline for all hospitals, government and private, to
voluntary disclose the vital information.”
He further
said that information such as staff, infrastructure, supplies and the status of
facilities are in public interest and should be in public domain.
Dr Mushtaq
Ahmad, who was one of the complainants in the case and an RTI activist, said
that the judgement by SIC has ‘wider ramifications’.
“Information
such as mortality at the hospital, qualifications and strength of the staff
posted to provide treatment and care to the patients must be available in the
public domain. Every hospital must make this information public,” he said.
He further
said that he and his fellow RTI activists would try to press SIC to intervene
and ensure that hospitals comply with Section 4 of J&K RTI Act 2009.
As per
Section 4 (1) (b) of RTI Act 2009, all the Public Authorities such as
government departments, semi-government departments, institutions, boards and
councils have to make proactive disclosure of all official orders, circulars
and notices.
The Act makes
it mandatory that such information is made available in the public domain
through the official websites, notice boards and sign boards.
As per
J&K RTI Act 2009, the proactive disclosure was to be made within four
months (120 days) of the enactment of the Act. However, the outdated government
websites, that have not been updated for years together, mock at Voluntary
Disclosure clause of the Act.
Meanwhile,
Medical Superintendent GB Pant Hospital, Dr Shafqat Khan welcomed the decision
of SIC. “It is the need of the hour. I have always been open about every
information at the hospital. We will pro-actively upload the information on our
website and make it available through other means also,” he said.
He added that
the hospital has been able to achieve a downward trend in infant mortality due
to upgradation of facilities.
“It is
because of the involvement of all stakeholders, including RTI activists,” he
said.
The
Commission has sought compliance to directions within 20 days of issuance of
the order. The Commission has also given directions to Director Health Services
Kashmir to ensure compliance to the directions, failing which, the order said,
action will be taken against the Public Authority of the hospital.
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