AMC staff be charged with alleged murder

Woman alleges that her daughter died due to negligence, committee to probe the matter

ABBOTABAD: A mother whose daughter died due to alleged negligence on part of Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad staff has demanded registration of a murder case against the culprits.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ishrat Bibi, a resident of Neelor village in Mansehra, said her daughter Bisma Bibi, 12, complained of severe pain in her intestines on December 23. She was shifted to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital Mansehra where doctors diagnosed her with appendicitis and referred her to Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) Abbottabad for surgery.

Ishrat Bibi said on December 24, doctors at AMC confirmed Bisma Bibi needed an appendectomy and sent her to surgical ward A to fulfil pre-surgery requirements. “I was asked to bring medicines from the pharmacy and the doctor in charge asked a nurse to administer medicine to my daughter who was to be operated upon within the next few hours,” Ishrat Bibi said.

She added her daughter’s condition deteriorated and she became unconscious as soon as she was administered an injection by the nurse. “When doctors were asked to examine her, they took her to intensive care unit (ICU) and put her on a ventilator. “On the night of December 25, they told me Bisma was dead and handed me her body. Before the injection was administered, Bisma was normal and just complaining of pain in her intestines,” her mother said. “I did not know taking her to AMC for treatment would cost my child’s life,” she sobbed.

She demanded registration of a murder case against the doctor in charge of the ward, nurses and doctors on duty at the time when her daughter’s treatment was started.

The other side

A doctor at AMC, familiar with the entire case and requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune the girl was to be administered an antibiotic injection intravenously, however, the nurse on duty incorrectly administered it intramuscularly which proved fatal for the patient. “Despite being kept on ventilator for about 24 hours in the ICU, the patient could not survive,” the doctor said.

Meanwhile, AMC Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Manan confirmed the report of Bisma Bibi’s death and said an enquiry committee headed by surgical ward A in charge Dr Khalid Khan has been formulated which will submit its report by Monday. He said the committee will question Dr Wadood, house officer and nurses Alia and Shamsa who were on duty that day. He said registration of cases against officials at fault will be decided after the enquiry report is completed.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2015.