In yet another case of medical negligence a woman hailing from Lalbazaar area of Srinagar had to lose her unborn child at Srinagar’s lone maternity hospital, Lal Ded on Thursday.

Aasifa, who was admitted in the hospital few days back, under MRD number: 4401 was suffering from mild hypertension and she was expected to deliver her baby later in the week.

Giving details about the incident, her husband, Rouf Ahmad said that despite the fact that his wife was a high risk pregnancy case, doctors on Thursday referred his wife to SMHS hospital, where some trainee doctors had assembled and a supervisor there used his wife as an object to demonstrate some ‘gynae related issues’ to the trainee doctors. 

“The patient was taken to SMHS at around 8 AM on Thursday, and I thought that she has been shifted there for some treatment, but came to know that she (patient) was shifted only to be used as an object.”

After a couple of hours of examination, and after using her as an object by trainee doctors, the patient was provided with some food, and was shifted back to Lal Ded.

What happened after that was even more shocking, when an ambulance driver, taking the patient back to the hospital, resorted to rash driving, resulting in death of the baby, he alleged.

When the patient reached back to Lal Ded hospital, she complained of pain forcing doctors to carry out a USG test. The test reports came as a shock to the family, when they were informed that the baby has died inside her mother’s womb.

As per sources within the hospital, the trainee doctors who were present at SMHS were undergoing some exams and for that purpose some patients from Lal Ded and Bone and Joint Hospital were brought to the hospital in order to be used as specimens.

“Last Thursday doctors carried out all the tests, they were all normal, but today after the ambulance driver resorted to rash driving, the results revealed that the baby is dead,” Rouf said.

The family is protesting that “why at the first place the patient was shifted to SMHS, when she did not had to undergo any treatment there?” “In addition the patient was a high risk pregnancy case and still the doctors made her as an object to teach the medical students, which is a grave error,” Rouf added.

Medical Superintendent, Lal Ded Hospital, Dr. Nazir Malik while taking to Kashmir Vision said the matter was brought into his notice and appropriate action will be taken.  “I am aware of the issue, as per norms, it should not have happened,” adding that “the case will not be shelved and appropriate action will be taken to fix responsibility.”

Other officials, as of now are not ready to face any questions, and are trying to remain tight-lipped, with hospital sources revealing that the administration has decided to form a committee which will be tasked to investigate the issue.

Sources said the head doctor- Dr. Rizwana has said that she was not aware about when and why the patient was shifted to SMHS.

Pertinently, her statement is raising serious questions on the operation of the administration and medical staff in the hospital and who is to be held responsible for the negligence that has snatched a yet-to-be-born baby from Aasifa.

Guest