Seventh grader killed

Young boy dies after he was administered a penicillin injection.

NOSHERA VIRKAN: A seventh grader died after he was administered a penicillin injection at the Tehsil headquarter hospital, even though the father of the boy had told the nurse that he was allergic to the drug.

The family of the boy placed his body on Tutley Aali Road and protested.

Government high school student, Salman Riaz’s heart valves were blocked and his parents took him to the local tehsil head quarters for a consultation.

A doctor at the hospital recommended that Riaz be administered an injection in his back. Riaz’s father Muhammad took his son to Dr Ghulam Mustafa Virk, who examined him and sent him with nursing staff to get an injection. A nurse named Asma, in spite of the father’s objection, administered a penicillin injection in the boy’s back. “I told her not to give him penicillin as he was allergic. She said that I was not medically qualified to interfere,” Muhammad said. Soon after the injection was administered the boy died.

Muhammad Riaz and his family protested in the hospital while the hospital staff fled the scene and closed the hospital. Muhammad called his relatives and the protesters camped outside the hospital all of Tuesday night. “We came as soon as we heard. I couldn’t believe the news. He had only gone for a check up,” said Salman’s mother, Shabana.

On Wednesday morning, the family took Salman’s body and placed it on the main road, where they protested by burning tyres and breaking the hospital windows.

Traffic remained suspended for outside the hospital for several hours.

Later in the afternoon police inspector Amir Abdullah assured the family that stern action would be taken against those responsible and sent the body of the child to another hospital for an autopsy. “My team is conducting an investigation but I am inclined to agree with the family,” Abdullah said, adding “the entire hospital is empty and they all ran away. Why would they do that if they were not guilty?”

The student’s father, Muhammad Riaz, said his son was “deliberately killed”. “I will not let this go. These doctors will pay for their negligence and I will make sure they never practice medicine again,” Muhammad said, adding that his brother had registered a case with the local police.

Tehsil headquarters hospital’s Dr Shabbir Ahmed said that an inquiry had been started after the medical superintendent informally suspended the nurse, Asma.

“I don’t work at the same hospital but the boy’s medical chart clearly states that he is allergic to penicillin,” Dr Shabbir said.

Police officials are currently searching for Asma and Dr Virk. Police said that further action would be taken in the light of the autopsy report. “For now we have asked the family to return to their home and we are following up all leads,” Abdullah said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2010.