Poor Kashmiri Work Ethic Created the Shopian Tragedy and Pulwama is Next

Astute observers may recall that it was the death of Shazia Akhtar due to negligence of Shopian doctors that set the stage for events a week later when bodies of Neelofar and Asiya turned up

6-month-old dies of doctors’ neglect

People protest against District Hospital Pulwama

Srinagar: Despite fifty-five doctors being posted here, the District Hospital Pulwama could not save the life of a six-months-old child who died for want of medical help during the preceding night.

Obviously then, irked by the neglect of the doctors and hospital administration, hundreds of people protested today against the hospital by blocking the Srinagar-Pulwama road for hours together, local news agency KNS reported.

According to the news agency, the angry protestors also attempted to set ablaze the hospital but it was owing to the timely intervention of the local elders that save it.

Giving details, the news agency reported that 6-months-old ailing son of one Javaid Ahmed Zargar was brought to the District Hospital Pulwama Monday night. However, there was no one there to help.

Zargar told KNS that only one doctor whom he identified as Dr. Abdul Gani was present in the hospital who refused to see his son citing that he was not a pediatrician.

After running from proverbial pillar to post crying for help, nobody in the hospital was ready to attend to the ailing child, Zargar said, adding that he moved from room to room trying to locate doctors or paramedics but nobody was ready to help him.

Zargar said he pleaded for an ambulance to rush his child to the Children’s Hospital in Srinagar but was denied even that.

It was only after some locals pleaded with the ambulance driver that Zargar was able to ferry his child to Srinagar but upon reaching the Children’s Hospital he was told by the doctors that he was late. His child had already died. They told him that the poor child could have been saved with timely medical help.

Tuesday morning hundreds of people came out on streets and protested against the hospital administration and absence of doctors. The protestor blocked the Srinagar-Pulwama road for hours.

It was only after Deputy Commissioner Pulwama reached the spot that the protestors could be pacified. He promised inquiry into the incident pledging that strict action would follow against the negligent hospital staff including the doctors.

KNS quoted DC Pulwama as confessing that the District hospital was plagued by severe indiscipline on part of doctors, who he said often remain absent from duties.

(Kashmir Images)