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NO PROBE PANEL
CONSTITUTED?
* Hafeez seeks certified copies of order constituting a enquiry committee
* He also seeks copy of inquiry report into the death of his brother
* Dr Ira Almeida replies back stating information can be divulged under RTI * Hafeez goes in appeal to the First Appellate under the RTI Act
* Dr Almeida replies back, \"no committee headed by Dr Edward D’Mello\"
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THE GOAN NETWORK
Akbar’s elder brother Hafeez has one question to ask to the Hospicio authorities and the Director of Health authorities “ if an internal inquiry conducted by an Hospicio panel had given a clean chit to the doctors, why are the authorities not willing to make the inquiry report public till date.
When Hafeez first applied for the inquiry report under RTI, seeking certified copies of an order constituting a enquiry committee headed by Dr Edwaard D’Mello and copy of the inquiry report into the death of his brother, Hospicio Medical Superintendent Dr Ira Almeida replied back stating that the information sought by the applicant could not be divulged as per Clause 8(g)(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.
However, when Hafeez went in appeal to the First Appellate (Director of Health Services) under the RTI Act, Dr Ira Almeida replied back saying, there was no committee headed by Dr Edward D’Mello. And, Dr Almeida pointed out that Section 8(g) and (h) of the RTI Act had to be invoked for non-disclosure of information to the application, in view of the fact that there was rioting in the hospital premises with a threat to the life of doctors of the hospital.
Hafeez told The Goan that if the Hospicio inquiry panel had given a clean chit to the hospital doctors to allegations of negligence, why then a copy of the inquiry report was not being given to him till date. “After the information dished out by Dr Almeida, I now suspect whether there was any inquiry ordered by Hospicio headed by Dr Eddie or any other doctor. Or, else, why the hospital authorities have not given me a copy till date,” he asked.
“The post mortem examination report has cited the death as due to cardiac arrest. But, we are of the firm view that it was a clear case of negligence. There was a delay by the doctor to attend to my brother. There were a host of other discrepancies too. If the inquiry panel had given a clean chit to the doctors, why is the report not being made public,” he said. Hafeez also rued that the report of the inquiry carried out by the GMC dean, which had ruled out negligence, has also not been given to him till date.
