Precautionary measure: PIMS shuts cafeteria after death of employee

Hospital suspects sanitary worker had cardiac arrest, no autopsy at family’s request.

ISLAMABAD:

A cafeteria at the capital’s largest public hospital has been shut-down till further notice after a sanitary worker died while eating there. The food, however, is not suspected of causing the death.

The move came as a precautionary measure, as hospital authorities suspect that Imran Yousuf, 35, died of a heart attack, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesperson Dr Ayesha Ishani told The Express Tribune.

According to eyewitnesses, she informed, Yousaf went to the cafeteria around 11:30am on Friday morning and brought himself a small juice box and a piece of cake.

“After sipping on the juice and taking a bite of cake, he keeled over and died on the spot,” she said.

He was immediately taken to the emergency ward, and initial tests suggested that he died of cardiac arrest, said Ishani.

Yousuf’s sudden death, just two days before Easter has left his family devastated.

His house in J Salik Colony in Sector G-8/1, had been decorated for Easter celebrations, but is now filled with family and friends mourning his death. He was buried on Friday evening and is survived by a widow and four children.

“It is difficult to accept that he is gone,” said Amir Masih, Yousaf’s younger brother. Yousaf was very happy and had no stress, he said, adding that on Thursday evening, he had hosted an Easter Party for his childhood friend.

Before leaving home on the day he died, Yousaf had promised to take his wife and children shopping for clothes in the evening.

Yousaf’s father Karamat Masih has appealed to the Pims administration to give a job to his widow so that she can support her children.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2015.