The importance of JK State Information Commission (JKSIC), a statutory and autonomous body is not fully known or introduced to the people of the State. People need to know that Section 16(8)(9) of the J&K RTI Act, makes it mandatory for the public authorities to adhere to the recommendations and directions given by the State Information Commission in various matters brought to its notice. Perhaps even some Government functionaries, too, are not fully aware of the powers and jurisdiction of the Information Commission. That could be a reason why no serious attention is paid to the directives and instructions of the Commission. However, ignorance of law is no excuse and if any organization of the Government wants to plead innocence about the laws, this cannot be an alibi behind which they will seek shelter.
A precise case of disregard of the instructions of the Commission has come to surface which deals with a very important matter of public interest. While dealing with a case under Right to Information Act, the State Information Commission found that Health and Medical Education Department had not responded to its instruction issued in November last in regard to making blood available to the needy persons in a state emergency. State Information Commission had then noted with serious concern that people are made to run from pillar to post to get blood in case of emergency mainly because the present system of blood collection and transfusion was not as effective and timely to save human life as was necessary. The Commission had directed the Health and Medical Education Department to devise a mechanism of interconnecting all the blood banks of the State into a single network so as to provide information vis-à-vis the availability of group wise blood in different hospitals of the State. So far the said Department has not reacted to these instructions and the Information Commission, naturally took serious note of it.
At present, the Health and Medical Education Department has not systematized network of blood banks in the State so that those in need of blood transfusion in a state of emergency would know at a glance where the blood is available and of which group and all relevant information. Transfusion of blood generally takes places in critical cases of injury etc. The sooner the blood is made available and transfused the chances of saving precious lives are brighter. But the situation on the ground is that our State has no such system under which updated information in regard to availability of blood would be at hand for the needy persons. In the instructions issued to the Health and Medical Education Department, the Information Commission had cited the example of the State of Odisha as a model of networking blood donation as well as blood transfusion centers in that State. Unfortunately, the Health and Medical Education Department has taken no cognizance of the urgency of establishing a network mechanism for procuring and transfusion of blood. It has been revealed that medical experts including the Principal of SKIMS, Srinagar had also emphasized upon the Department to take necessary steps of establishing blood banks and coordinating their functionality. All the recommendations have fallen on flat ears. The condition in district and rural hospitals is worse. There is no arrangement of blood procurement and transfusion and more often than not patients are shifted either to Srinagar city or to Jammu city for treatment and blood transfusion in Government hospitals.
Another related issue about which the Information Commission has taken serious note is regarding the display of the list of medicines available for distribution in the hospital to the patients. There is a complaint that usually, while hospitals are provided some essential medicines and drugs, these are scarcely available to the patients who need them. The Information Commission is of view that it is incumbent upon hospital authorities to display the list of medicines that are made available to the patients either free of cost or on reduced price. The Commission had issued instructions to the Department in April 2014. But now it is given to understand that nothing of the sort is happening. This is unacceptable and all responsibility comes to the doorsteps of the Health and Medical Education Department. We fail to understand how and why the concerned Department is unmindful of its responsibilities and succumbs to negligence allowing precious lives to be lost although. Almost all States have established blood banks and coordinated their activities. Ours is the only State that has chosen to remain outside the pale of this public service. We very strong recommend that the Department of Health and Medical Education takes urgent steps to implement the recommendations of the Information Commission and save precious lives.
Follow our WhatsApp channel