Boy dies due to doctors’ ‘negligence’

Victim’s father said son was suffering from severe pain throughout the night but wasn’t provided treatment

DERA GHAZI KHAN: A student of Grade IX died due to alleged medical negligence at the Dera Ghazi Khan Teaching Hospital.

The victim’s father said his son was suffering from severe pain throughout the night, but he wasn’t provided treatment.

After his death, his family protested by placing his body on the street. They also burnt tires and blocked roads.

Mazhar Abbas, a resident of Basti Talpur area of Choti Zareen, was bitten by a cobra near his house. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital Choti Zareen, but the doctors referred him to DG Khan Teaching Hospital at 11 pm due to the lack of vaccination.

Mazhar’s father Nazar Hussain claimed that there was no doctor available at the DG Khan Teaching Hospital's emergency ward. “Nurses only administered one bottle of drip to my son throughout the night. No oxygen or ventilator was provided to him for six hours. When his condition deteriorated, they tried to shift him to the ICU, but he died.”

Nazar claimed that there was no bed in the ICU. When contacted, DG Khan Teaching Hospital Media Coordinator Dr Khalid Tehseen told The Express Tribune that Medical Superintendent Dr Shahid Hussain Magsi had formed a three-member inquiry committee and sought an immediate reply.

According to the preliminary report of the inquiry committee, the patient was bitten by a cobra. He was shifted to DG Khan Teaching Hospital, where doctors tried their best to save his life, but failed. However, according to the report, strict action will be taken against the doctor or member of staff, if they were found guilty.

A committee, headed by Dr Gul Hassan Shah, has been formed to investigate the incident. The body includes Senior Registrar Surgery Dr Muhammad Asim Bhatti and Consultant Physician Dr Sajid Hussain. DG Khan Deputy Commissioner said that strict action would be taken against those responsible.

CM takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the boy’s death due to unavailability of anti-venom vaccine at Civil Hospital Choti Zareen. He sought a report from secretary health and Commissioner DG Khan Division.

The chief minister has directed officials concerned to investigate the matter in detail.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2019.