KOHAT: In two consecutive cases in as many days the families have lodged reports with the city police station about death of their babies due to the alleged negligence of doctors of the Women and Children Hospital (WCH).

The FIR registered on Friday stated that Mohammad Kausar of Pehlwan Banda brought his wife to the family planning health centre in Sangerh, Kohat, where she gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The staff referred the case to the WCH for necessary care. There the children specialist, Dr Mohammad Ishaq, allegedly without check up of the woman and baby refused to take the case and asked them to go to the KDA divisional headquarters hospital where they were told that the concerned hospital was WCH and not the KDA hospital. They came back to WCH, but by that time the baby had died on way to the hospital and the woman had fallen unconscious.

Two newborn babies have died due to alleged negligence of doctors

Father of the baby nominated Dr Ishaq by name in the FIR after which the police have started consultations with legal experts for investigation of the case under Section 322 of PPC.

Earlier, on Thursday a family had requested the police in a report lodged at the police station to conduct an inquiry into the case of their baby’s death. One Adil Shah brought her wife to WCH for delivery from Mandoori area of far-flung Lachi tehsil.

The nurses and the lady doctor allegedly kept them waiting and delayed the delivery for a couple of hours whereas the woman needed immediate care. The baby died in this case too after which the family lodged a case with the police for registration of an FIR against the lady doctor and her staff.

The police have appointed a DSP as inquiry officer to initiate investigations into the case after confirming the name of the lady doctor from the duty roaster.

When this correspondent asked district health officer Abdul Khaliq if he had started inquiry into the Thursday’s case, he said that the medical superintendent of the respective hospital was independent who should be contacted for any development.

Answering a question that he was administrative head of the hospital, he said that he did not know the name of the lady doctor nominated in the application on Thursday and would conduct an inquiry after it would be marked to him. The city police station officials said that WCH doctors had been non-cooperative in the case and they had not even informed them about the name and as the report did not contain the name of the lady doctor. The report had been directed to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, and the provincial health minister and secretary.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play