College admin accused of neglecting girl during medical emergency

Rumours about her death led to a protest, but doctors have confirmed that her condition is not critical.

LAHORE: Students of Islamia College staged a protest on Cooper Road against the college administration on Friday, Express News reported.

A student of the college, M*, was rushed to Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday after she fell unconscious. Rumours of her death surfaced on Friday morning at the campus where agitated students blamed the college administration for delaying medical treatment. She was later shifted to Lahore General Hospital (LGH).

A doctor at LGH said the patient is not in a critical condition but was shifted to the Intensive care unit (ICU) and is being monitored closely. He said that the patient had suffered epileptic fits and was unconscious when she arrived at the hospital. A doctor also said that she has a clot in the left side of her brain which caused the fit.

The protestors said that M suddenly felt unwell on Thursday but Principal Farzana Shaheen did not allow her to go to the hospital when her brother arrived at the college to take her.



The principal of the college denied these claims. While speaking to The Express Tribune, she said that she facilitated her trip with her brother and three staff members. The principal added that the staff members had stayed with M in the hospital until the rest of her family arrived.

Hundreds of students had raged a protest first inside the premise, as early as 9am right after the commencement of classes, later moving towards the main gate of the college. Demanding that the college principal be removed immediately, students chanting slogans “we want justice” forced open the main gate of the college coming outside on the road.

"We were very angry since we had seen the whole episode a day earlier when her brother was here to pick her so we came out to protest" said Ghayas, who is a student at the college. "Some students called the media and the protest just got larger, before we knew it the whole college was out protesting" she added.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shaheen said the school administration "tried to step in and tell the students that M is stable but they were too emotional to believe us".

Shaheen denies any negligence on part of the college. But two teachers who were on duty when M’s condition worsened on Thursday have since then, been dismissed from their services for their failure to immediately inform the principal of the student's condition.

M’s brother Ahmed Nadeem however blames the college for negligence. “How would you feel if the last call you receive from the college says that your sister has stopped moving altogether, yet when you reach there to take her to the hospital you are told to wait for their verification?” he said.

While the protestors largely dispersed close to Friday prayers, there was no untoward incident during the protest. According to DSP Women Police Station Racecourse Circle Fehmida Yasin, the protest was peaceful. “There was no violence” she said “the students were registering their protest which was later confirmed to have been based on wrong information”. She said no police complaint had been lodged in regards to the protest.

After the crowds dispersed, college administration invited a few students to take them to the hospital where M was being treated. Lecturer at the Computer Science department at the college, Sania Batool accompanied by another staff member took two students, part of the morning protest, to the Lahore General Hospital where Malik had been shifted earlier on Friday morning to convince of her stable condition. “We brought these girls here to convince them that M fine and in good hands,” she added.

Ghayas, one of the protestors at the college, said “we were concerned but having finally seen her at the hospital has removed all our reservations.”

*Name of victim has been omitted.