Differently-Abled Boy Dies Outside Kashmir Medical Board, Doctors Suspended

The ailing young student seeking sanction for a helper to write his exams was kept waiting for hours.

Updated on: 22 November 2020 9:56 pm

The death of differently-abled class 10 student in Srinagar outside a medical board has prompted Jammu and Kashmir Government to suspend three members of district medical board Srinagar and a class four employee.

The student died outside the board after being kept waiting for hours. The family members, his mother and his sister, had brought him to the Medical Board on the recommendation of the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education to get a helper to write his class 10 exams. The student was incapable of writing the paper himself due to his extremely poor health (muscular dystrophy) and disability as well.

Because of the student’s disability, his sister and mother requested the Medical Board to examine him inside the vehicle, however, authorities at the Medical Board asked them to reach the second floor of the building. While trying to get him out of the vehicle, the student complained of breathlessness and subsequently died.

The suspension orders issued by Director Health Kashmir followed the recommendation of the Additional Commissioner Kashmir.

“The sister and mother of the deceased person approached the Medical Board on November 17, 2020, and requested that the deceased be examined in the vehicle parked outside the centre due to his severe disability and lack of facilities therein in the Centre. But the deceased was not attended. He was taken to hospital where he was declared brought dead. No health worker or doctor accompanied them up to the hospital," a government spokesman said.

The sister of the student told reporters that she kept pleading with the concerned officials to attend to her brother first due to his extreme disability. Instead, she said she was pushed away and her prescriptions were flung out. Even when her brother's condition deteriorated the officials refused to help, and they were kept waiting for hours. Her brother complained of chest heaviness and later died on way to the hospital.

The board members, who have been placed under suspension included Dr Neelofar, Consultant Physician at SDH Ganderbal; Dr Shuja Rashid, Medical Officer Leper Hospital and Dr Farhan Bashir, Ophthalmologist, Government Gousia Hospital Srinagar besides Ghulam Hassan, Nursing Orderly.