ISLAMABAD: The death of a seven year old who spent around three weeks in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Burn Centre, has triggered criticism of its doctors, with the child’s relatives claiming he was not given attention or medical treatment.

Dr Tariq Iqbal, the head of the burn centre, has rejected the allegations and in turn claimed that while the hospital’s staff did their best to treat the child, he died because his family initially took him to a hakeem and brought him to Pims three days after he was injured.

The child received 20pc burns from boiling water, and was brought to Pims on Dec 19, 2017.

Mohammad Asif, the child’s father, said his health had been improving, but he died suddenly after being administered the wrong injection. The family, who are from Bhara Kahu, protested at Pims and appealed to the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) minister to hold an inquiry.

Dr Iqbal told Dawn that the burn centre provides advanced treatment and it was unimaginable that a patient would be ignored at the centre.

“Although all patients should be brought to a hospital after receiving burn injuries, it is a fact that children are more vulnerable to burn injuries. The family of the deceased child hired a hakeem for the child and after three things, when things had worsened, the patient was shifted to the hospital,” he said.

He added that the child received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) twice in three weeks. After the first time he was given CPR, the child began recovering, but needed CPR again after he collapsed, after which he began recovering again.

He said the child was in critical condition, and could not survive.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2018