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The Orissa High Court on Thursday directed state officials to retain Covid-19 patient / suspect identity, and to ensure that no similar disclosures were made to the media or during inter-departmental communications.
"Respondents-State officials are directed to verify the identity of a person, admitted to Covid institutions - any Government / Private Hospital or any State-Owned Institution, disclosed via Coronavirus (COVID-19) to be announced in any departmental internal communications or on any social media forum. , "including the bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Dr. Brian Sarangi.
The interim guidance was entered into a PIL filed by Advocate Ananga Kumar Otta, seeking a top-level investigation by people who revealed who exposed Covid patients to the State.
The court has issued notices to the Department of Health and Social Services, the Government of Orissa and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, which will be returned on June 4.
Highlighting the "devastating effects" attached to the disclosure of Covid patients' data, the complaint cites numerous cases where COVID-19 patients and health care workers, hygienists and police officers, who are at the forefront of managing the outbreak, face discrimination. due to "increased fear and falsehood" about the infection.
In these cases, Petitioner argued that the anonymity issue needed to be taken into consideration when considering privacy issues, COVID-19 patient stigma, and prompt response. a rapidly spreading disease.
In particular, in an effort to combat prejudice against Corona patients, the Government of India and ICMR have issued tips on the non-disclosure of their identity. However, since health is a matter of state, the final decision is left to various State Governments.
In this context the complaint states that most states in India have a strict ICMR-like policy - not to disclose COVID-19 patient information. However, in cases where identity has been revealed, people have experienced serious consequences.
Because of this the application states,
"It is the State's first duty to maintain confidentiality in medical matters and, therefore, is part of the best practice of treating physicians, not including patients' information."
The Orissa state also complies with ICMR advice and has issued under Regulation 4 of Odisha COVID -19 Regulations 2020 to the extent that no person / institution / organization will use any media or electronic information about COVID-19 without prior permission of the authorities concerned.
Despite such clear instructions, the complaints reveal, the Odisha Government violated its policy of not disclosing corona virus patients as it named the fifth person in the State to be diagnosed with HIV. In total, the identities of thirteen patients have been revealed.
"The disclosure of the identity of thirteen persons infected / affected by COVID-19 in the Kendrapara region raised a question about the lack of secure access, such disclosure is unacceptable and therefore requires judicial intervention of the firm on the basis of a sound investigation that should be directed there," the complaint said.
In addition to the high-profile investigation, Petitioner has also urged the Court to place a check on the adverse effects of disclosure of patients' identities, by instructing the Government to develop a plan to make people understand why there should be no "boycott".
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