Inquiry ordered into deaths of siblings

Health Dept probes alleged LRH treatment delays

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has ordered an inquiry into the alleged delay in providing emergency medical treatment to three minor siblings who died after reportedly consuming poisonous mushrooms, amid complaints of negligence at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Peshawar.

A notification issued by the health department said the inquiry committee would submit its report to the government within three days. The committee has been tasked with determining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, assessing the availability of emergency medical facilities at the hospital and identifying those responsible if administrative or professional negligence is established.

According to available information, four members of a family from Garhi Ghulam Rasool in Peshawar's Kakakhel Town fell ill after allegedly eating mushrooms brought home by their father from nearby fields. The affected children were identified as 11-year-old Arooj, 10-year-old Faryal and seven-year-old Azlan, who were siblings. Their mother was also reportedly affected.

The family members were shifted to hospital for medical treatment. However, allegations subsequently emerged that the children did not receive timely emergency care and that the unavailability of beds in the intensive care unit (ICU) contributed to delays in their treatment.

The allegations have yet to be formally verified, and the inquiry is expected to establish the facts.

The committee will be headed by Dr Ahmad Faisal, a Grade-20 additional director general (Monitoring and Evaluation) at the Directorate General of Health Services.

Its other members include the health department's deputy secretary (Administration), Dr Syed Bawar Shah, chief district specialist (paediatrics) at Moulvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital, Peshawar, and a section officer (MTIs), who will serve as member-secretary.