GILGIT: Relatives and other residents blocked a major road and ransacked a government hospital in Chilas town over the death of a heart patient alleging delay in treatment.

The police said Saeed Alam, a 50-year-old resident of Shaheen area, was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, Diamer, on Thursday morning after he complained about a heart attack, but he didn’t survive.

Relatives of the deceased accompanied by residents later ransacked the hospital alleging that delay in treatment caused the patient’s death.

They later placed the body on a major road, burned old tyres and staged a sit-in shouting slogans against doctors and health department.

The protesters alleged that when the patient was taken to the hospital, no doctor was there.

Haji Akbar, Abdul Rehman, Maulana Saja and other speakers demanded strict action against the hospital employees responsible for death.

The protesters stayed put for six hours and went away after the administration held talks with them.

Meanwhile, the doctors boycotted outpatient departments in Chilas town’s hospitals over the mob attack and harassment.

They claimed that the patient had died of the negligence of relatives and not doctors’.

The doctors insisted that the relatives were advised three days ago to take the heart patient to a modern city without delay for treatment, but they didn’t act accordingly.

They demanded protection for their community’s members.

Patients complained that the strike inconvenienced them.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2019