Bandipora: Staff at a health center in Nowgam village of Sumbal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday allegedly locked up the facility and left while leaving a patient put on an IV along with another patient inside the facility.
As per officials, a young expecting mother, 30-year-old Shabnam, was brought to NTPHC Nowgam where the nursing staff put her on an IV drip.
Shabnam told media persons that she was vomiting and had come to the health facility for a checkup where the staff put her on the IV drip.
“I was stuck for more than an hour before I called the family, no one from the staff turned up to look after me except for the other patient admitted along with me. When no one arrived till 3:00 pm, I had to take the IV off by myself,” Shabnam told media-persons from inside the locked iron gate of the hospital.
Shabnam said the gate was locked by the staffers at the time they left the center after putting her on the drip.
Locals who gathered outside the locked facility in protest against the “lackadaisical and careless” approach of the hospital administration demanded that the erring staff be brought to book.
A middle-aged local said that they rushed to the health center after he received a distress call on behalf of the locked up patients.
“When I got here, I saw it with my own eyes,” he said.
The locals wondered how the doctors or the paramedical staff attending the patients could desert them, especially the expecting mother more importantly when she had been put on an IV drip.
“We have often been victims of the careless approach of the hospital staff and today’s incident is an eye-opener for everyone to witness what we have been put through,” a local alleged.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Owais Ahmad has ordered an inquiry into the alleged locking up of an expecting mother along with another patient at NTPHC Nowgam in Sumbal area.
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora while referring to the negligence said in a communique today that an inquiry in the matter has been initiated.
ADC Bandipora has been designated as the inquiry officer in the case and the inquiry report is expected to be submitted by today evening.
“In case the health staff is found guilty action will be taken against them,” the DC said.
