Girl dies of alleged malpractice of hospital staff

Heirs ransack hospital; police officers, medical superintendent assure of fair enquiry

HYDERABAD:

A 17-year-old girl died of alleged medical malpractice during surgery at the Sindh Government Shah Bhitai Hospital in Latifabad.

Enraged family of Noorul Ain Usman ransacked the hospital. Some people broke into OT and OPD chasing the doctor and staff accused of 'killing our child'. According to the father of the deceased, Usman, she was admitted to the hospital for surgery on a thoracic hernia, but the incompetent doctors "killed her."

A heavy contingent of police along with local dignitaries controlled enraged people. During negotiations, the medical superintendent ordered an enquiry into the incident and assured action against those responsible if negligence was found.

Doctors and paramedical staff in the hospital ran away to save their lives. B Section police reached the hospital on the information of the protest, but when the situation could not be controlled, a heavy police force was called from other police stations.

DSP Latifabad Haji Masood Iqbal and DSP Hussainabad Farooq Ahmed Bhutto held discussions with the relatives and assured them of all possible cooperation, but the grief-stricken family was inconsolable, they continued to riot demanding nothing less than "life for life".

Later, MS of the hospital, Dr. Paril Baghio, along with police held talks with the family members in the presence of local dignitaries and assured them of taking legal action in case of negligence from any doctor.

Talking to the media, Usman said he lives in Latifabad no. five and works as a carpenter. Noorul Ain was the eldest of his three children and a student of XII grade. The unfortunate kid had a lump on her chest.

His daughter was transferred to the hospital for operation. After conducting all the tests, the doctors started surgery on Monday and they were sitting outside the OT when they were informed that their daughter had died.

Noorul Ain did not have any such disease that would cause her death. Doctors administered a wrong injection which took the life of his daughter. The government should immediately close the hospital to prevent further loss of human lives and action should be taken against the negligent doctors.

On this occasion, Dr. Baghio told the media that Noorul Ain was brought to the hospital on June 21. No doctor intentionally kills a patient. It has to be seen why Noorul Ain did not regain consciousness after the surgery was completed. Doctor who gave her anesthesia will also be questioned. An enquiry into the incident has been ordered and the actual cause of death will also be revealed in the post-mortem report after which further action will be taken.

Later, the dead body was handed over to the heirs after legal action and the deceased was buried in the local cemetery.

Apart from this, the divisional president of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek Hyderabad, Abid Qadri and the members of the divisional committee expressed their sorrow over the death of an innocent child due to the incompetence of the hospital management. Bhitai Hospital has become a bastion of corruption. There is always fight between hospital management and a new MS over misappropriation of the funds received for medicines. Any MS who tries to work honestly is changed by spending money. Medicines of Bhitai Hospital are available at medical stores outside the hospital.