Relatives go on rampage after patient’s death

ABBOTTABAD: Accusing the staff of negligence, the family members and attendants of a patient, who died at the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) of Ayub Teaching Hospital, went on a rampage early Saturday.

They allegedly damaged equipment in the ward following the death of the critically ill patient. One Lal Khan, son of Pir Khan, a resident of Tannan village, who was admitted to the CCU of Ayub Teaching Hospital died at 1am on Saturday.

The family members and attendants of the patient became aggressive and started protesting at the CCU, accusing the hospital staff of negligence. The situation become so tense that hospital administration called the police to bring it under control.

Hospital sources said that protesting people damaged expensive equipment at the CCU and manhandled the staff on duty. The officials at Mirpur Police Station registered the first information report on the written complaint lodged by Dr Shehryar Umar who was performing duty in the CCU at night.

Police started investigation. However, no arrests could be made. The FIR said that the patient Lal Khan was admitted to the CCU in critical condition and was being treated when he expired at 1pm. It stated that about 30 to 35 attendants of the patient became aggressive and damaged the equipment of CCU including two ECG machines, portable echocardiogram machine, defibrillator, computer system and emergency and medicines trolleys.

It was alleged that the attendants physically attacked the staff on duty and took away the record of other patients.