State Information Commission summons PIO

LUDHIANA:The Punjab State Information Commission has now summoned Public Information Officer of the Principal Secretary (Health) to appear before it on June 28 in connection with the death of patient Amrita on November 27, 2015, who had her C-Section at the Mother and Child Hospital.

The Mother and Child Hospital. A fILE PHOTO

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 30

The Punjab State Information Commission has now summoned Public Information Officer of the Principal Secretary (Health) to appear before it on June 28 in connection with the death of patient Amrita on November 27, 2015, who had her C-Section at the Mother and Child Hospital.

Gurdeep Singh Kalyan, Joint Director, Research and Medical Education, appeared before the Punjab State Information Commission today.

Raj Kumar Sathi who had filed a complaint with the Commission was also present. Chairman of the commission Nidharak Singh Brar heard both sides. Dr Kalyan in his reply to the commission said the inquiry report was secret and was submitted to the then Principal Secretary, Health, Vinni Mahajan. The commission has now called PIO Principal Secretary, Health, on June 28.

Amrita went through a C-section at the Mother and Child Hospital. After delivery, she was referred to the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), where she died on November 27, 2015.

An investigation committee was formed under Director Medical Research and Education Dr Manjit Kaur Mohie to investigate into the death. But so far no report has been released by the committee.

Raj Kumar, brother-in-law of Amrita, had been pursuing the case since then. In February 2016, he asked for the report of the investigation committee, but he failed to receive any. He then asked for the report through RTI, but did not get any reply from Director, Health. In January 2017, he wrote to the Punjab State Information Commissioner, who summoned four officials.

Earlier, the Punjab State Information Commissioner had also summoned, Deputy Director Health Dr Sunil Pathak and Assistant Civil Surgeon Dr Mohinderpal Singh for failing to give a reply to RTI plea and not giving the copy of investigation report of Amrita`s death case.

Deputy Director, Health, Punjab, is the appellant authority-cum-Nodal officer of Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab, and the Assistant Civil Surgeon is the Public Information Officer at the Civil Surgeon Office in Ludhiana. They have been summoned on June 5 now.