Seven-year-old dies after ‘wrong injection’

Victim’s family says they brought him to the hospital after he had vomited

SAHIWAL: A seven-year-old boy died after he was allegedly administered a wrong injection at the children’s ward of the District Headquarter Hospital in Sahiwal on Thursday. The victim’s relatives staged a protest against the doctor and blocked Noor Shah Road.

Reportedly, seven-year-old Taha died after a doctor administered him the wrong injection. Protesters chanted slogans against the accused doctor. As a result, Noor Shah Road was blocked for two hours and traffic was affected as citizens faced difficulty in reaching their destinations.

The victim’s family claimed that they had brought Taha to the hospital after he had vomited. At the facility, the doctor had administered an injection, which caused the child’s body to turn blue, they stated.

However, the doctor discharged the boy and told us to return home. At home, Taha’s condition started to deteriorate rapidly which is why we brought him to the hospital in the morning, they said. Once again, the doctor administered an injection and the boy died within 30 minutes.

Sahiwal Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zaman Wato reached the scene and assured protesters that action will be taken against those found responsible. After his assurances, the victim’s relatives ended the protest. The deputy commissioner said that a committee has been formed to present a report on the incident. He added that the child was suffering from a high fever.

On June 2, eight children died at District Headquarters Hospital Sahiwal over 24 hours. Initial reports suggested that the infants died because of a lack of functioning air conditioners.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2019.