Crime

Month after promising ’48 hour inquiry’, GB Pant quietly rules out medical negligence, family unaware of report

Srinagar: While an official inquiry in case of an infant’s death at GB Pant Children’s Hospital rules out possibility of medical negligence, the family says that they were unaware of the report.

Moreover, the hospital has no CCTV footage to prove the innocence of the staff as it claimed before.

Over a month has passed since a female infant died at GB Pant Children’s Hospital. Her family, hailing from Kreeri area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, had accused the doctors and paramedics of putting a blower near her body, causing life-threatening burns.

After her photograph went viral online, many doctors diagnosed that it could be sepsis and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) which ‘appears as if the victim is suffering from burns’.

An official inquiry within 48 hours was ordered on February 5. However, after the stipulated time, the hospital administration told Free Press Kashmir that no one from the family had come to the hospital, leading to the delay.

It was further delayed due to ‘bad weather conditions’ in the valley, the hospital says.

According to the victim’s uncle, Nazir Ahmad, they had visited the hospital in the last week of February. “We had asked them to let us know when they come up with a report. But, we know nothing about it,” he says, adding that he was the one who took the photographs and circulated them on social media, and that he is an eyewitness.

ALSO READ: Rare disease or murder most foul? Family of dead baby seeks answers, hospital asks for 48 hours

“They mislead the media. We just wanted to know how our child was burnt. We don’t care if it was a heater, air conditioner or whatever. We had left her in their hands,” he says.

The report rules out the possibility of medical negligence and read that the cause of the death of the infant was that she was suffering from a serious respiratory illness and a blood disorder called DIC.

The family continues to ask questions.

“Why did she have burns on one side only if it was the disease? Why were we asked to get an ointment that is used for healing burns? How did her fingers club together? Why were we not informed about the disease when we made a hue and cry?”

ALSO READ: Fact Check: Death of baby due to burns or a rare disease which results in blood coagulation?

After the incident of her death, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital had assured the family and media that the hospital was in possession of CCTV footage which would prove who was right and who was wrong.

He had said the footage of 64 CCTV cameras installed in the area could be checked.

When asked about the footage, the inquiry officers say that the camera was not focussed on the baby’s crib but on the spot where doctors sit.

“We went on last Saturday of February. They had told us that they will show us the CCTV footage. And then they did not have it,” says Ahmad, her Uncle.

“We don’t understand why they did not tell us about the report. We will get the reports and approach the Medical Council of India (MCI). We know what to do next,” says Ahmad.

 

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