BAHAWALNAGAR: A high-level inquiry into the deaths of three newborn children on the night of September 15 allegedly because of the Fort Abbas Tehsil Headquarters staff’s negligence has been initiated on the orders of the primary and secondary healthcare department secretary.

According to sources in the Fort Abbas THQ hospital, three-day old baby of Shahzad, 36-hour-old of Khalil Ahmed and a 24-hour-old newborn of Kashif were admitted to the facility’s intensive care unit and were on oxygen.

They said that due to some issue an electric issue the oxygen supply to the babies was suspended on the night of Sept 15, while the hospital’s power generators were allegedly started with half an hour delay resulting in the deaths of the three newborns.

The victim’s families protested but the hospital’s management somehow convinced them to end the protest and leave after receiving the bodies.

On Sept 16 a victim’s family told the media about the incident and it was highlighted.

The hospital medical superintendent could not be contacted as his mobile phone remained powered off. He did not reply to the text messages by this scribe.

Meanwhile, a letter sent to Health CEO by Fort Abbas THQ hospital MS (a copy of which is available with Dawn) on Sept 16 said the three babies were born in private hospitals and their condition was critical when admitted to the facility’s emergency ward on Sept 12, 14 and 15, respectively.

It claimed the children were provided best care at the hospital, blaming electricity issue and delay in starting the generators for the incident. It said Kashif’s child had already died, whereas, the two other babies died after the oxygen supply was restored.

As per sources, on the orders of the primary and secondary healthcare secretary, a department team was at the Fort Abbas THQ hospital for conducting a probe into the matter and was also in contact with the affected families.

Health CEO Dr Asfand Yaar told Dawn that the departmental inquiry had not been finalised yet, while the Bahawalnagar deputy commissioner was also conducting a probe into the matter.

DC Shafqatullah Mushtaq was not available for his comments.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2021