- Advisor Baseer Khan orders probe into mishandling of body
- ACR terms her COVID-19 report positive, Principal GMC, HOD CD Hospital claim report not received yet
- 3 doctors, 2 nurses, who may have come in contact with her sent into quarantine
- Ambulance driver says he was not provided protective gear, ferried many patients in his vehicle
Precious Kashmir Desk
Srinagar, Apr 26: Death of a pregnant woman, who delivered dead twins, at Anantnag hospital in south Kashmir on Saturday has triggered a row.
Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Syed Yasir tweeted on Sunday evening: “The unfortunate death of a pregnant woman yesterday at MCH Anantnag can’t be attributed to COVID, though samples taken post her death have reported positive. The alleged negligence on part of maternity hospital is being enquired into.”
However, Principal, Government Medical College Anantnag, Dr Showkat Jeelani told a local news KNT that they have not received the test report of the deceased woman. “I have been listening through media that she has tested positive but it’s not official so far as we haven’t received any report so far,” said, Dr Jeelani.
He added that test report will arrive from Chest Disease hospital Srinagar.
When contacted Head of Department CD Hospital, Dr Naveed Nazir told KNT that he also heard about it through social media but the test of this deceased woman has not reached to us. “The COVID-19 tests that we received till 5 PM today didn’t contain the report of this woman. Her test report will arrive, it is awaited,” he added.
Advisor Baseer Khan orders probe into mishandling of body
Meanwhile, J&K administration ordered an inquiry into the alleged “mishandling” of the deceased woman’s body at Maternity hospital Anantnag.
While bodies of the twins were given immediately to the family, the corpse of the woman was initially kept back at the hospital, another local news agency GNS quoted sources as having said.
The hospital authorities took her samples for the coronavirus and later handed over the body to the family, conceding to the demands of later despite directions by the Principal GMC that the corpse should be kept in the hospital mortuary till reports of her samples return.
Talking to GNS, Advisor to LG Baseer Khan said: “I have ordered an immediate inquiry into the mishandling of the body.”
He said that probe will also, encompass alleged negligence by the doctors at Child and Maternity hospital Anantnag Kharpora village.
“I have also directed Deputy Commissioner Anantnag to keep all those persons who attended the funeral of the deceased and also who came into her close contact including those who participated in Ghusl (ablution) in quarantine,” Khan said.
He said that entire the incident will be inquired into and the probe will also cover how the hospital authorities handed over the body despite taking samples from her for the COVID-19 and knowing that she was from the “Red Zone” area.
Baseer Khan said that the body should have been kept in the hospital mortuary until the reports were received. “The action under rules will be taken against those found guilty,” he added.
I was not provided protective gear, says ambulance driver
Meanwhile, the driver of the ambulance who ferried the bodies of the twins and their mother told GNS that he not was provided protective gear despite his request.
“I ferried the bodies of twins first and after several hours I was called to ferry the body of the woman. At the time of ferrying body of the woman, I requested for the protective gear but was not provided by the concerned,” he said, adding, “Since yesterday, I ferried several patients in the same ambulance.”
The news agency quoting Medical Superintendent Child and Maternity Hospital Anantnag, Dr Mirji Andrabi said that three doctors and two nurses, who might have come in contact of the woman, were moved to quarantine.
Pertinently, on Saturday, the authorities had ordered a probe into the death of the woman and her twin babies after doctors allegedly delayed her treatment at a maternity hospital in south Kashmir over apprehensions that she might be a COVID-19 patient.
The woman who hailed from Kharpora village, which has been declared as coronavirus “Red Zone” by the administration, was admitted to Child and Maternity Hospital Anantnag on April 25 morning. Family members alleged that since she hailed from a “Red Zone” area, doctors were hesitant to treat her, which eventually led to her and the death of twins.
