Delhi Police criticised by CIC for 'absurd' state of affairs

Delhi Police has received flak from a Central Information Commissioner for its failure to provide for over two years the viscera report of a patient whose kin had moved the Delhi Medical Council alleging death due to negligence by doctors at a private hospital. In a strongly-worded order recently, the CIC termed the act of Delhi Police sitting over the viscera report as an "absurd" state of affairs.

The report was not given even after 30 months whereas the same could be completed in three months, the Commissioner noted. The Delhi Medical Council had expressed its helplessness in acting against the doctors before the Central Information Commission saying that despite its repeated attempts during last 30 months, the report has not been provided to them.

"The Commission would like to comment that it is an absurd state of affairs that viscera report has not been supplied for over two and half years and endless efforts are being made in this regard.

The Delhi Medical Council has been pursuing this matter with Delhi Police and Delhi Government without success," Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi observed during the hearing. The Public Information Officer of DMC said normally it should not take more than three months for them to get the report. "In the instant case over 30 months have already elapsed and yet the viscera report has not been given inspite of repeated reminders.

Such inefficient practices are fertile ground for complete wrongdoing to go scot-free," Gandhi said. The case relates to K K Sharma whose wife had died at Batra Hospital here due to alleged medical negligence. Sharma had filed a complaint in June 2008 before the Director General Health Services.

The Directorate forwarded the complaint to Delhi Medical Council which formed a disciplinary committee to look into it but to reach to any conclusion final postmortem and viscera reports were needed. Seeing no action, Sharma filed an RTI application seeking details on his wife's death at Batra Hospital, the doctors' role and the post-mortem report.

The Council informed him "viscera analysis including medical records of Batra Hospital be provided to the office of Delhi Medical Council as the examination of the same are essential for determining the issue of medical negligence and in absence of the said documents, the Delhi Medical Council is unable to proceed in this matter."

The Commission also could not order any action in the case saying, "it has not been possible for disciplinary committee to conclude the matter. Hence the PIO is unable to inform the appellant about the final outcome."