Chandigarh, Mar 16 – Haryana Government has reconstituted the Medical Board at each district level with the name ‘District Medical Boards for Negligence’ to decide the complaints against the private and government doctors and hospitals for medical negligence.
While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Health Department said that a notification has been issued in this regard.
The spokesman said that Civil Surgeon of the District would be the Chairperson of the Board whereas Principal Medical Officer or Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, two subject specialists of the same speciality related to the type of complaint, one member of the district IMA, one member of National Integrated Medical Association and two subject specialists from Government Ayurvedic Medical College would be Members of the Board. He said that the Board would examine such complaints in the light of orders passed by the Apex Court in Jacob Mathew case and by applying Bolam’s test. All Members would be present and sign the report, he added.
He said that the Board would look into all complaints against the private and government doctors and hospitals for medical negligence and would be empowered to call and seek the assistance of anybody or any record associated with the complaint and would have the power to inspect the premises as per need of the case. The investigating officers should, before proceeding against the doctors accused of rash or negligent act of omission, obtain an independent and competent medical opinion from the Board.
The Board would give an impartial and unbiased opinion applying Bolam’s test to the facts collected in the investigation. The Board would meet as frequently as required and would devise a transparent procedure to receive complaints, he added.