MULTAN: Dozens of people staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday in front of the Bahawalnagar district headquarters hospital over the deaths of 133 children at the facility in 45 days.
Parents who had lost their children raised slogans against the government for not providing quality medicines at the hospital.
Ali Ahmad, one of the protesters, said he had brought his ailing son to the hospital three days ago. “My son was not in critical condition when we brought him to the hospital. He died suddenly after taking the medicines,” he said.
Omar, who has lost his daughter, said that all the medicines at the hospital were manufactured locally. “Many of the medicine are bought form companies located in the city,” he said.
Usman, who has lost his son, said that there was no check on the quality of the medicines being provided to the patients at the hospital.
The protesters also accused the doctors of negligence. They said that the emergency ward of the hospital was not being inaugurated even though it had been completed.
The protesters surrounded the hospital. Police were called to the scene and talked to the protesters, who dispersed then.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Medical Superintendent Dr Fayyaz said 120 and not 133 children had died in last 45 days at the hospital, as being claimed by the protesters. “All these children died of natural causes. No negligence was involved,” he said.
“All our medicines are of high standard. These people are illiterate. They cannot understand medical reasons behind the deaths,” he said.
Fayyaz denied that the new emergency ward was complete.
Bahawalnagar DCO Jahanzaib Awan told The Express Tribune that he had ordered an inquiry into the deaths.
“The health EDO has been directed to submit report in the next 48 hours. It will then be submitted to the chief minister,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2014.
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