Child dies of dengue in SMGS Hospital, family stages protest

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 18: A child died of dengue fever tonight at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital, leading to protest by the family members and relatives of the child, alleging negligence in providing medical treatment to the child.
According to the reports, a 12-year-old boy namely Danish son of Monu, resident of Rehari, died due to dengue fever tonight in Pediatiric ICU of the Hospital, following which the angry attendants of the deceased patient, slapped a doctor following a verbal duel. As one security official tried to intervene, he was also slapped by one of the attendants.
The family members staged a strong protest, raised slogans against the doctors and the Hospital administration for their failure to provide adequate treatment to their child. “Had our child give proper treatment, he would not have died,” the attendants said and accused the doctors of the Hospital for negligence in providing proper treatment to the child.
Meanwhile, doctors and staff were also agitated over the physical assault launched by the attendants. Senior officers of the police as well as Hospital administration reached the spot and somehow pacified the protesting attendants as well as doctors and staff of the Hospital.
Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr Dara Singh told Excelsior that the child was given proper treatment but as he was admitted in the Hospital by his attendants when his condition had worsened. He was experiencing pain in abdomen, vomiting and even shocks and despite giving him best possible treatment by the doctors, he could not survive and died around 9 pm after receiving cardiac arrest.
Dr Singh said that they have given a written complaint to the police post SMGS Hospital in this connection, as physical assault on our doctors and staff could not be tolerated.