Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, July 12: The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, (SKIMS) Soura has ordered the reconstitution of its Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) while it has been impressed upon the members of the committee to ensure that the human subjects in various researches are not put at risk, ensuring the protection of their rights and wellbeing.
The 14-member IEC has been reconstituted to assess the research projects which are put forth before it for the necessary approval and the same is granted after the committee ascertains all the aspects of the research projects, especially the aspect where there is the involvement of human subjects.
The Committee will have Dr Mohammad Afzal Wani, former Dean of Medical Faculty, SKIMS and former Principal SKIMS Medical College/Hospital, Bemina and former Professor and Head, Department of Neurosurgery, SKIMS, Soura as its Chairperson.
Those experts who have been designated as members include, Clinician, Prof. Mohd Maqbool Lone, Ex-Head, Department of Radiation Oncology, SKIMS, Soura, Clinician, Prof. Fazlul Qadir Parray, Department of General & Minimal Invasive Surgery, SKIMS, Soura, Medical Scientist, Dr. Masood Tanvir, Professor & Head, Department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Medical Scientist, Pharmacologist, Dr. Sameena Farhat Hakak, Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Dr. Khalid Majid Fazili, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Kashmir University, Prof. Mohd Mubarik Naqash, Department of General Medicine, SKIMS Medical College/Hospital, Bemina, Prof. Nahida Tabassum, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of. Kashmir, Srinagar, Dr. Javeed Iqbal Bhat, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, SKIMS, Soura, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Mir, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, SKIMS, Soura
Further, Prof. Zafar Amin Shah, Head, Department of Immunology & Molecular Medicine, SKIMS, Soura has been designated as the Member Secretary of the Committee while Falak Bashir, Advocate, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has been included as a Member for a legal opinion, apart from Abdul Hamid Bhat, Chairman, Rahim Greens, SIDCO, Rangreth, Srinagar and Dr. Hafizullah Dar, president, NGO, Dawn, Sopore.
In this regard, Sajad Ahmad Magray, Computer Associate has also been directed to render all secretarial assistance to the Member Secretary, IEC; SKIMS wherever needed.
Concerning the terms of reference, it has been directed that while assessing the Research Projects, due care shall be taken that human lives are not put at risk.
“The Committee shall ensure the protection of rights, safety, and well-being of human subjects involved in a research project on drugs, devices, procedures, etc,” the communication issued in this regard said, adding that IEC will also review and evaluate the scientific and ethical aspects of proposed research projects.
Meanwhile, the SKIMS has also ordered the fixation of charges for various in-house investigations. As per the directives issued, there will be no charges on the investigations that include, Blood Culture and Sensitivity by Bact Alert, CSF Culture and Sensitivity, and T.B. Culture by Bact Alert.
“Charges…shall be reflected as “Zero” in the MRD rate list of investigations issued consequently, no charges shall be henceforth levied from the patients at the MRD Counters for the above investigations, to avoid levying of extra charges,” reads an order issued here. However, the investigations that include Folate, and Vitamin B12, Rs 150/- each will be charged to the patients.
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