Anantnag: Massive protests erupted in Seer Hamdan area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Sunday morning after a 25-year old pregnant lady died in Child & Maternity hospital here allegedly due to medical negligence.
Soon after the incident district administration ordered an enquiry into the matter while BMO Mattan put two health officials including a medical officer under suspension.
Shakeela (25) wife of Zahoor Ahmad Bhat (laborer) of Salia Nowpora Panzmulla area, after feeling acute labor pain was moved to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Seer Hamdan on Saturday night where doctors and other paramedical staff treated her as usual without considering her peak time of pregnancy, family members said.
They said, her condition deteriorated but doctors didn’t bother to shift her to any advanced medical facility.
In wee hours of Sunday, doctors and other paramedical staff at SDH Seer Hamdan directed the family members to move her to Child & Maternity Hospital Anantnag for advanced treatment.
“She died on way to Child & Maternity Hospital Anantnag,” said the family.
Soon after her death, family and close relatives, residents of Seer Salia reached medical facility and started massive protest against the hospital authorities. They shouted slogans against the negligent doctors and other paramedical staff and demanded stringent action against the involved doctors and paramedical staff.
Meanwhile District administration took strong note of the incident and sent a high level team headed by Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Syed Yasir Farooq on spot who ordered instant inquiry into the matter and directed officials to submit a detailed fact finding report within three days so that tough action against the involved will be initiated.
Simultaneously Block Medical Officer (BMO) Mattan ordered suspension of lady Medical Officer and Staff Nurse on night duty on 02/03.05.2020.
“The lady Medical Officer namely Dr Rizwana and the Staff Nurse namely Zareefa Akhtar is put under suspension regarding death of a case namely Shakeela Akhtar wife of Zahoor Ahmad Bhat resident of Salia, admitted at SDH Seer under MRD No. 298 at Govt. MCCH Hospital GMC Anantnag referred from SDH Seer Hospital with the enquiry pending regarding the case”, the suspension order reads.
Meanwhile, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, in a statement issued today said that untimely and unfortunate death of a lady and her baby at SDH, Seer Hamdan Anantnag has sent shock waves among the people of the area. It is entirely the result of willful negligence of a doctor at the said hospital.
He demanded that an FIR must be lodged against the culprits without any delay.
“There should be no eye-wash or cover-up as due to willful negligence of the doctors a mother and a yet to be born baby have lost their lives,” said Tarigami.
In the meantime, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) senior leader and former legislator Rafi Ahmad Mir on Sunday demanded time bound and a fair probe into the case.
In a statement issued here, Mir said that death of the lady, a resident of Salia Nowpora of district Anantnag due to alleged negligence of medical staff speaks volumes of healthcare services being provided in the district.
