‘Negligence at SKIMS caused my aunt’s death’

‘Negligence at SKIMS caused my aunt’s death’

SRINAGAR: The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has been accused of “negligence, oversight, and denial” in handling a 48-year-old patient who died of Covid-19 on Wednesday.
Mohsin Riyaz Bhat, nephew of the patient, told Kashmir Reader that his aunt had many underlying conditions but was still not being looked after by the medical staff.
“During her stay at the hospital I saw almost no doctor attending to her on time. Sometimes they used to be absent when immediate intervention was needed. Such was the callousness that my aunt was dead in the morning but her ECG was done only five hours later,” Bhat said.
The patient, who was suffering from chronic myloid luekemia, a disease in the bone marrow, was brought to the hospital on June 17. She had transplanted bone marrow, fungal infections, and other severe symptoms. The family had spent nearly Rs 50 lakh on her treatment in Delhi.
When the family returned to Kashmir, a Covid test was done and Bhat’s mother was found positive. She was admitted to the isolation ward at SKIMS on June 17, the day she arrived from Delhi. The family, however, said they were not sure about the test and asked SKIMS to do a repeat, because she had no Covid symptoms. For eight days of her stay, it was never done, Bhat said.
“My aunt is no more. I am not seeking anything from anybody. All I want to tell people is how merciless the system is that has taken away by mother. I hope this won’t happen to anybody,” he said.
Medical Superintendent of SKIMS Dr Farooq Jan said the second test for Covid was not done because it was not required as per the guidelines issued by the Indian Institute of Medical Research centre (IIMCR).
“We follow strictly what has been told to us,” Dr Jan said.
When asked if there have been cases in the past where a second test has been done, he said, “It may have been done because the institute was unaware about the first test. Had it been so, it would not have been done.”
Regarding the allegations of negligence, he said he would look into it.
“Let me also tell you, there are guidelines which we have to follow in terms of allowing medical staff into the ward. We are following that. It is because of this that attendants feel a lack of care. There is a difference between a normal ward and a Covid ward,” he added.
A second test, Bhat said, may have saved the life of his aunt. “She had no Covid symptoms, so we were sure it would come as negative. My aunt could have been treated at a normal ward, where she would have got proper attention,” he said.

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