Medical board members suspended in Srinagar over student’s death

Jammu, Nov 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Taking prompt action against those alleged to be responsible for the death of a differently-abled Class 10 student in Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday suspended three members of District Medical Board Srinagar along with Class-IV employees, state officials said.

It is alleged that the young student died after being denied a scribe by the Jammu and Kashmir State Board Of School Education (JKBOSE) for writing his class 10 exams due to his inability to write the paper himself owing to poor health (muscular dystrophy) and disability.

"The sister and mother of the deceased child approached the Medical Board on November 17 and requested examining the child in the vehicle parked outside the centre due to severe disability and lack of facilities in the Centre. But the child was not attended and while suffering from breathlessness the doctors rushed outside to attend him and referred him to the hospital where he was declared dead and no health worker/doctor accompanied them to the hospital," said the recommendation letter for suspension of the board members.

An official statement said the board members placed under suspension included Dr. Neelofar, Consultant Physician at SDH Ganderbal; Dr. Shuja Rashid, Medical Officer Leper Hospital and Dr. Farhan Bashir, Ophthalmologist, Government Gousia Hospital, Srinagar; besides Ghulam Hassan, Nursing Orderly.

In an order released by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK), the suspension of the board members along with Class-IV employees materialised after receiving recommendations from the Additional Commissioner, Kashmir.

The suspension order came after the Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, who is also the Social Welfare Department in-charge, had sought a factual report from Principal Secretary SWD after a video surfaced on social media in which a girl hailing from Chanapora area of Srinagar alleged that her disabled brother Suhaib died at the door of Well Mission Health Centre Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, due to the "negligence and unbecoming behaviour of the Medical board doctors and staff member".

He had asked the Education department authorities to take strict action against the errant officials and staff at BOSE who are responsible for the death of the Class 10 student.

Source: IANS