KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday suspended services of medical superintendent and civil surgeon of Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital for refusing free of cost ambulance to Ramesh Bheel for taking his son’s body to his village.

Disappointed at the refusal, Ramesh and his brother Kewal decided to transport the body on a motorcycle since they could not afford hiring a vehicle. However, a speeding mini-truck knocked down their two-wheeler on Mirpurkhas-Sindhri road and the father and uncle of the two-year-old boy died before they could reach Asghar Dars village.

The chief minister asked Health Secretary Saeed Awan to suspend MS Dr Khalil Memon and civil surgeon Dr Mohammad Aslam (also the in-charge of administration) and conduct an inquiry into the incident, press secretary to the CM Rasheed Channa said on Sunday.

Dead toddler’s father and uncle were knocked down while transporting the body on a bike

The chief minister also asked the officers concerned to provide him hospital-wise ambulance service details, including on-road, off-road facilities available in ambulances and the procedure for provision of the service to people of the area.

“This is a serious incident and cannot be ignored,” he said and added he was working hard to provide best healthcare facilities to people but some elements in the hospitals’ administrations were spoiling his efforts by denying services to people.

The chief minister directed health department to submit him detailed inquiry report with recommendation for action against the involved officials.

Ramesh had admitted his two-year-old son Chetan to Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital but the child could not survive. He sought an ambulance to transport his son’s body to his village but the administration allegedly refused to provide the service free of cost.

PTI leaders lodge FIR against officials

MIRPURKHAS: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Sindh leaders on Sunday got an FIR registered against MS Dr Memon and Dr Aslam along with other officers for refusing free of cost ambulance service to Ramesh Bheel to take the body of his son to his village.

PTI Sindh president Haleem Adil Shaikh, MPA Dua Bhutto and local party leaders Aftab Qureshi and Raja Abdul Haq condoled deaths of Ramesh Bheel and his brother Kewal Bheel with their heirs in Asghar Dars village in Sindhri taluka. The two brothers were carrying the body of Chetan to the village on a motorcycle when a speeding minitruck hit them and they died on the spot.

They handed the family three cheques for a total of Rs180,000 and another three for a total Rs150,000 to the victims’ heirs and then arrived at Town police station to have the case registered against the inefficient health officers.

The case was lodged under Section 319 on the complaint of Khemo Bheel, father of the deceased against the transport in-charge Dr Aslam Ansari and MS Dr Khalil Memon, RMO Dr Adil and the ambulance driver. However, no arrest was made yet.

Meanwhile, Haleem Adil Shaikh told journalists that the health officials and provincial health minister Azra Pechuho were responsible for the murder of the brothers.

He said the health minister should resign and leave the poor masses alone. Sindh government was getting more funds under NFC award which was expended on Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other PPP leaders.

They all wanted the resources for financing their luxurious life instead of providing budget to all the government hospitals to ensure basic health facilities to masses at grassroots level.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2019