Srinagar, Apr 26: An 8-year-old girl died at the Associated Hospital Handwara on Friday, and the family has alleged negligence on the part of doctors, calling for strict action against those involved in the alleged negligence.
The family stated that they brought their 8-year-old daughter (Rutba Reyaz) to the hospital, who was suffering from diarrhoea. They said the on-duty doctors did not pay much attention to her and only provided antibiotic medication.
Reyaz Ahmad, the father of the deceased, who works in the police department, stated that they repeatedly visited the doctors, expressing concern that their daughter was not showing signs of improvement. He claimed that despite their pleas, the doctors present did not attend to her, which ultimately led to the loss of their beloved daughter.
Ahmad described the situation as complete negligence, insisting that no one should die from diarrhoea. He asserted that if the doctors had shifted her to hospitals in Baramulla or Srinagar, she might have survived. He has called for action against the doctors who failed to attend to her despite repeated pleas.
In response to the incident, Dr Aijaz, the deputy medical superintendent, stated that they have formed a team comprising senior doctors to investigate the matter. He assured that if any negligence is found, strict action will be taken against those found guilty.
Patients at the hospital have been consistently complaining about the administration’s reliance on interns and the unavailability of senior doctors and paramedical staff. They claim that similar incidents have occurred in the past without any repercussions from the authorities.
Furthermore, “patients allege that doctors at the hospital pay insufficient attention to patients and sometimes behave rudely towards them.”
Bashir Ahmad, a local of Handwara, recounted his recent experience at the hospital, where doctors prescribed tests for his baby but faced difficulties in getting the samples collected, indicating a lack of efficient coordination within the hospital’s operations.
