TAXILA: The family of a newborn baby has accused doctors of negligence in provision of treatment which led to his death.

Abdul Ghafoor, a resident of Mohallah Mashraqiabad, told journalists on Tuesday that he took his daughter-in-law to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital after she went into labour, adding that the child was delivered normally. However, the doctor on duty asked them to take the newborn to Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in Rawalpindi as the child’s heartbeat was abnormal.

He said he asked the medical staff to let him take his baby to HFH himself but the hospital management told him that the baby needed oxygen support which would be provided to him in the ambulance. However, he alleged that the ambulance did not have an oxygen cylinder facility and when it reached Rawalpindi, the baby was pronounced dead.

Quoting the doctor, Mr Ghafoor said the baby required immediate oxygen support which was not available in the hospital. He said the death certificate mentioned heart failure as the cause of death.

He was of the view that if doctors had provided the baby oxygen in the hospital or an ambulance that had an oxygen facility, his life could have been saved.

He urged Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq to order a probe into the incident and take necessary action against the medical staff of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for its negligence and indifferent attitude.

When contacted, Deputy District Officer Dr Sara Qadeer while confirming the incident said that the issue is in the notice of local health authorities, adding that the tragic incident is being investigated and findings would be shared with the media.

Responding to a question, she said if the health officials concerned were found guilty of negligence, they would be dealt with as per law.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2022