The Curse of Having a Baby at the Lal Ded Hospital

Tragedies come and come again, but the staff of the Lal Ded (LD) Hospital and government officials are unimpressed

LD Hospital Sits on Probe

Syed Rizwan Geelani (Rising Kashmir)

Srinagar: After failing to meet the 48-hour deadline, the inquiry committee supposed to look into the cause of death of a woman and her baby at L D Maternity Hospital is yet to submit its report even as seven days have passed since the panel was constituted.

The doctors committee was constituted on September 12 by Medical Superintendent (MS) LD hospital and it was supposed to submit the report within 48 hours.

The committee, headed by Dr. Shahnaz Taing was constituted after a baby girl died when her mother’s womb was allegedly pushed by the doctors after she was admitted to the hospital on September 10. Hours after the death of baby, her mother was shifted to SMHS Hospital for special treatment where she succumbed. Death of baby and mother triggered massive protests in the LD hospital against the alleged negligence of doctors following the removal of uterus of patient, admitted to the hospital for delivery.

The Medical Superintendent LD Hospital, Mushtaq Ahmad Rather had claimed that a committee has been constituted to look into the cause of death of baby and her mother. “We have constituted a committee in this regard which will submit its report within 48 hours. The accused doctors will be penalized if found guilty,” Rather had told media persons on September 10.

According to the relatives of the deceased patient, Mehbooba wife of Abdul Hamid Bhat from Nehalpora Pulwama was admitted to the hospital on September 10 at 6:15 AM. According to them Mehbooba was not given proper treatment which made her condition critical.

“She was shifted to labor room but no doctor attended her,” said Parvez Ahmad Yatoo, brother of late Mehbooba. He said doctors pushed the womb of her sister miserably resulting in death of baby and damage of uterus as well. “Doctors were behaving like bouchers and removed uterus of Mehbooba. they didn’t agree for her surgery but doctors behaved unexpectedly with her,” Yatoo said. Demanding the suspension of the accused doctors Yatoo said the committee should submit its report immediately. “Doctors are responsible for everything. Their negligence killed my sister and her baby. They should be penalized for this,” demanded Yatoo.

Talking to Rising Kashmir, Medical Superintendent LD Maternity Hospital said the committee is not an investigation agency which will complete the work within 48 hours. “It will take some time for committee to submit its report. Our team is not investigative agency. The investigation cannot be completed within two days. Once it is completed we will make the report public and punish the doctors if found guilty,” he said. When asked why there was a delay in submitting the report he said apart from investigating the case, doctors have to run the system of the hospital. “Due to the rush of the patients admitted here, doctors have to stick to their schedule to attend patients. People can say anything. We have a lot of work here still we are trying our best to get the report completed as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile SHO Raj Bagh, Riyaz Ahmad said that they have shot a letter to the hospital authority to submit the list of the doctors who were handling the case. “We gave them a reminder regarding the case but are yet to get any reply,” Ahmad told Rising Kashmir.