Denied entry to hospital on time for CM’s visit, Posha’s baby died in Budgam

Woman narrates how her baby’s body was sent home in a hired Tata Sumo on donations collected by drivers

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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Nengarpora (Budgam), Jul 1: Oblivious of the suffering patients and their attendants are subjected to around a VVIP’s visit to a hospital due to a security drill, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed waded through corridors and a ward of Aga Syed Yousuf Memorial District Hospital of Budgam on June 10. Minutes before his arrival in the company of a thick VIP entourage, 27-day-old Adfar Yasin, the first child of Posha (26) and Mohammad Yasin Rather (21) of Bugchhulla Nengarpora, died on the premises for reaching late.

“As her condition started deteriorating in the morning, I and my younger sister carried Adfar in a Khansahab-Budgam Tata Sumo. In the town we were stopped and denied entry towards the hospital as some Minister was about to reach there on a visit. Everybody requested Police to allow us. By the time, Police relented and removed the barbed wire, it was too late. Still, only my sister was allowed in with the patient and I was asked to sit outside. After some time, they brought my child back, dead”, Posha narrated to STATE TIMES.

Adfar was born at Kashmir’s main maternity hospital, Lal Ded, on May 14, around a year after Posha’s and Yasin’s wedding. At the nearest Public Health Centre of Dabipora, there was neither the treatment of Posha’s satisfaction nor an ambulance.

According to Posha and her husband, who came later, the hospital staff handed over to them their baby girl’s body and told them to go back. Even the three available ambulances were not permitted movement around the CM’s arrival. Drivers collected a donation of Rs 840 and a private Tata Sumo, JK01L-2460, imploring its driver and owner Manzoor Ahmad Dar to drop the family at their home. For Dar, it was a routine business.

Chief Medical Officer and the DH’s former Medical Superintendent Dr Ghulam Mohammad Dar dispelled the impression that the baby died under treatment during CM’s visit. “She was brought dead. Our staff arranged for the transportation and sent the family back home”, Dr Dar told STATE TIMES.

On June 23, Dr Dar’s successor at DH, Dr Gazala Tabbasum, removed the best of the vehicles, JK04D-8826, from the four-strong ambulance fleet and reserved the same for her personal use. Her Order No: DHB/498 dated 23-06-2015 says that the ambulance would remain “in the hospital all the times and shall not leave the hospital premises unless and until any dire emergency of referral of patients arises”.

But, she travels daily in the same ambulance, a Maruti Eeco, from her Pirbagh residence to the DH and back home. She retains the keys in her personal custody. On the same route, 10 brand new Force Traveller ambulances, which have been procured in a fleet of 125 vehicles by Directorate of Health Services Kashmir through State Motor Garage as long back as in April 2014, lie decaying on the premises of PHC Ompora.

Posha’s family of three---herself, husband Yasin and mother-in-law Taja---are reconciling to their tragedy and helpless while resuming their farming. Yasin has abandoned his studies in 8^th standard after his father Abdul Rahim Rather died of asthma at SMHS Hospital a few years back.

 “Whatever we had in hand, we spent on their marriage and Posha’s hospitalisation. We have got to work hard at the farms if we have to live. So we are all here”, said 65-year-old Taja.

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