Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 19: A 35-year-old man from South Kashmir’s Qazigund died at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag allegedly due to “medical negligence”, with authorities ordering a probe to ascertain the circumstances.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The deceased was identified as Bilal Ahmad Mir, son of late Abdul Rehman Mir, a resident of Yarhole Babpora (Baihama) in Qazigund. He died on Saturday evening soon after being brought to the hospital for treatment of injuries.
Officials said he had sustained injuries in a road traffic accident near the Fruit and Vegetable Mandi in Ashajipora and was shifted to GMC Anantnag, where he later died at the hospital’s Surgical Casualty at MMABM Hospital.
Doctors said Mir was brought to the hospital around 7 pm on April 18 with a history of polytrauma following the accident.
Family members alleged that despite his critical condition, there was no timely medical attention and essential staff were not available when needed.
Videos that surfaced online purportedly showed the emergency section without doctors, sparking outrage among attendants and locals. The incident led to protests and a commotion at the hospital. Click here to watch video
Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo said the department has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the death.
She said there would be no compromise on patient care and that action would be taken against anyone found responsible, while also offering condolences to the bereaved family.
However, the hospital claimed attendants turned violent and assaulted doctors on duty during the incident.
In its report, the hospital administration said the patient was received at the Surgical Casualty and admitted for observation after initial assessment at the casualty reception.
It maintained that all standard operating procedures for treating a road traffic accident (polytrauma) case were followed, including Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocol, NCCT head scan, USG FAST, and chest X-ray, all of which were reported normal.
The administration said all residents-including senior residents (SR), DNB trainees, Junior Residents (JR), and interns-remained on duty in Surgical Casualty-2 and managed the case, adding that senior doctors were available in the casualty or hospital to guide junior staff and that regular rounds by consultants are conducted routinely.
It said the patient was cleared by the surgical department after proper screening and was subsequently handed over to the orthopaedics department for management of a pelvic fracture.
The hospital also alleged that attendants resorted to mob violence and physically assaulted both male and female doctors on duty, adding that timely police action prevented damage to hospital property and ensured the safety of doctors and staff.
In response to the allegations, GMC Anantnag said it has initiated an inquiry into the incident, noting that the Medical Superintendent is constituting a fact-finding committee.
The committee, the hospital said, will examine the sequence of events, the role of staff on duty, and adherence to emergency protocols to fix responsibility and recommend measures to prevent recurrence.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
