The appellant requested through Pakistan Medical Commission for the provision of her medical treatment record from a private medical centre. She also requested the public body to provide information about the action taken on her complaint against medical centre.
The Pakistan Medical Commission in response to the notices issued by this commission, refused to provide the information and claimed that the requested information does not falls within the ambit of public record.
The commission in this order observed that the Respondent under Section 12 (b) of The Pakistan Medical Commission (Enforcement) Regulations, 2021 has the powers to direct the hospital to submit records.
This commission holds that any record that can be submitted to a regulatory body, or, the regulatory body is empowered to get access to the record, is record/information for the purposes of this Act and can be shared with the applicants/appellants, if warranted by the provisions of the Act. The record requested in the instant appeal is a matter of public importance as it belongs to the life of a citizen and the quality of healthcare services provided to citizens.
Pakistan Information Commission is directed to provide the requested information to the appellant at the earliest, but in any case, not later than 3 working days of the receipt of this Order.