Jammu: Taking prompt action against those alleged to be responsible for the death of differently-abled class 10 student in Srinagar, the government on Sunday placed under suspension three members of District Medical Board Srinagar besides a class-IV employee.
It is alleged that the deceased student died at the door of the Board after being denied a scribe by J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) to write his class 10 exams in view of his inability to write down the paper himself due to his extremely poor health (muscular dystrophy) and disability as well.
“The sister and mother of the deceased person approached the Medical Board on November 17, 2020 and requested that the deceased be examined in the vehicle parked outside the centre due to his severe disability and lack of facilities therein at the Centre. But the deceased was not attended and when he suffered breathlessness, the doctors rushed outside to attend the deceased and referred him to hospital wherein he was declared brought dead and no health worker/doctor accompanied them up to the hospital,” the recommendation letter for suspension of the Board members stated.
The Board members, who have been placed under suspension included Dr Neelofar, Consultant Physician at SDH Ganderbal; Dr Shuja Rashid, Medical Officer Leper Hospital, and Dr Farhan Bashir, Ophthalmologist, Government Gousia Hospital Srinagar besides Ghulam Hassan, a Nursing Orderly.
In an order issued by Director Health Services Kashmir in this regard, the suspension of the Board members along with Class-IV employee has been affected after receiving recommendations from Additional Commissioner Kashmir.
Pertinently, the suspension order has come after Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, who is also in-charge of Social Welfare Department. Khan had sought a factual report from Principal Secretary SWD after a video surfaced on social media in which a girl hailing from Chanapora area of Srinagar alleged that her disabled brother Suhaib died at the door of Well Mission Health Centre, Jawaharnagar Srinagar due to the “negligence and unbecoming behavior of the Medical Board doctors and staff member.”
Khan has also asked the authorities of the Education department to take strict action against the officers and staff at J&K BOSE, who are at default in the death of the student.
