Elderly patient's death at GMC sparks protest
* Hospital Adm orders inquiry Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, July 8: The death of an elderly patient, allegedly due to medical negligence at Govt Medical College & Associated Hospital Rajouri, triggered protests by family members, relatives and local residents here today....
* Hospital Adm orders inquiry
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, July 8: The death of an elderly patient, allegedly due to medical negligence at Govt Medical College & Associated Hospital Rajouri, triggered protests by family members, relatives and local residents here today. Reports said the deceased, Barkat Hussain (88 yrs), son of Khan Mohammad, a resident of Manjakote, was referred to GMC Rajouri in critical condition. According to his family members, including Ashfaq Ahmad and Tariq Hussain, the patient was taken to the hospital's emergency department, where they alleged he did not receive timely medical attention. They claimed that despite repeatedly requesting hospital staff to call a doctor, no doctor attended to the patient for a considerable period, during which his condition deteriorated.
The family further alleged that when a doctor eventually arrived and they questioned the delay in treatment, the doctor behaved rudely and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. They expressed the belief that prompt medical intervention could have improved the patient's chances of survival.
Following the patient's death late Tuesday night, his relatives and local residents staged a protest in the hospital premises, alleging medical negligence and demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the incident. The protesters also sought strict action against those responsible after investigation.
Responding to the allegations, Medical Superintendent of GMC Rajouri, Dr Shamim Ahmad, rejected the claims of negligence. He stated that the elderly patient was brought to the hospital in an extremely critical condition and was provided timely medical care. According to him, the patient was immediately shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where doctors initiated all necessary treatment. Despite the medical team's best efforts, the patient could not be saved and died during treatment.
Addressing the allegation of rude behaviour by a doctor, Dr. Ahmad said the matter would be investigated. He assured that if the allegations are found to be true, appropriate action will be taken against the concerned doctor.
