Children’s death: Fatal negligence alleged at BVH

Families say children admitted at Bahawal Victoria Hospital died during Eid holidays

BAHAWALPUR: Over a dozen families on Wednesday protested in front of Bahawal Victoria Hospital, saying negligence of doctors and shortage of medicines had caused deaths of 14 children during Eid holidays.

They gathered at the hospital early on Wednesday morning and chanted slogans against the hospital administration. They said the Health Department should take notice of the issues and take those responsible to task.

Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Rasheed and Chaudhry Muhammad told newsmen that their children had been admitted to the hospital in the final week of Ramazan. They said doctors had not visited them at the wards after the initial examination. Abbas said his son died on Sunday, Rasheed’s daughter on Monday and Muhammad’s son on Tuesday evening.

Chaudhry Basheer, a resident of Ahmadpur East, said his four-year-old daughter was seriously ill. “I brought her to the hospital with a fever. She was admitted on the Eid day. The nurses on duty prescribed some medicines for her but she has not recovered,” he said. He said no doctor had visited her.

Khairpur Tamewali’s Muhammad Asad, Dera Izzat’s Chaudhry Sana Ullah, Channi Ghot’s Khuda Baksh and Bindra Pulli Bahawalpur’s Muhammad Rafique said on Eid day, there was only one doctor on duty and no medicines were available at the hospital.

“They did not even have painkillers,” he said.

Medical Superintendent Irshad Ahmad said 200 children had been admitted at the children’s ward of the hospital. He said 14 children, who had been seriously ill when they were admitted, had died during the Eid holidays.

“Currently, 20 children are in a critical condition,” he said. He said sufficient medical staff had been deployed at the ward during the holidays to cater to the needs of the patients.

Ahmad said an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate allegations of the aggrieved. He said action would be taken against any doctors found to have been negligent.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2015.