In a distressing event, the family of a 19-year-old youth faced a harrowing ordeal at a hospital in the Kashmir Valley.

A 19-year-old deceased person identified as Faisal Ahmad, a resident of the Soiteng area of Srinagar, was brought to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in the late hours of Friday and died at SMHS on Saturday evening.

According to the deceased’s family member, despite the mandatory procedures, the family was left in the dark regarding the deceased’s condition until he was taken into the operating room at 1:15 AM.

Inside the theater, medical staff revealed that Faisal suffered from internal intestinal obstruction, necessitating urgent surgery. But concerns occur when a ventilator, crucial for post-surgical care, is deemed not available.

So, without any option, the family relies on manually pumping oxygen until morning. The family said that despite assurances of a ventilator by 11:30 AM, none materialized, leaving the deceased's health condition in danger.

After the surgery, the deceased remained unconscious until the afternoon, further complicating his recovery. Attempts to secure a ventilator proved useless, with hospital authorities citing the unavailability and prioritization of other patients.

The family’s distress increased as medical staff neglected the deceased's deteriorating condition, even as he regained his consciousness.

Their requests for medical intervention fell on deaf ears, with medical personnel offering excuses and evading responsibility.

The family said that despite the hospital’s assurances, the lack of basic equipment, including a ventilator, is a systematic failure in patient care. The youth’s condition continued to worsen, resulting in his unfortunate death.

After Faisal’s death, the family’s quest for justice encountered further difficulties as hospital staff attempted to seize medical records and avoid accountability, the family claimed.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)