TAXILA: Relatives of a teenage girl held a protest after she died during a surgical procedure at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Attock on Tuesday.

The protesters forced the police to register a case against the doctor for alleged negligence, and health authorities to suspend and initiate departmental inquiry against him.

According to the first information report (FIR) registered with the City police, Yasmeen Bibi, a resident of Mullah Mansoor, lodged a complaint that she took her 14-year-old daughter Laiyba to the ENT specialist at the hospital as she was feeling pain in her throat. After examining the patient, the doctor suggested a surgery. She said her daughter was taken to the operation theatre and after half an hour the doctor came out and got some papers signed from her. She said a few minutes later her daughter’s body was handed over to her.

“My daughter walked into the operation theatre but was brought out dead,” she told newsmen.

She alleged that her daughter died due to negligence of the doctor.

When the relatives of the deceased held a protest in the hospital, health authorities along with the police reached the spot and assured them that legal and departmental action would be taken against the doctor. The protesters then dispersed.

The police later registered a case under section 322 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and started an investigation.

When contacted, DHQ hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Mehmood confirmed the death of the patient.

Responding a question, he said the ENT specialist had been suspended and departmental proceedings initiated against him.

He said it was premature to say if the patient had died due to overdose of anesthaesia or a wrong surgical procedure. It would be ascertained in the autopsy as well as after completion of an inquiry, he added.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2019