Admin Rejects Social Media Claims, Cites Critical Illness, Orders Formal Enquiry
Srinagar :The family of a 16-month-old child from North Kashmir’s Bandipora district has alleged medical negligence following his death in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Government Children’s Hospital, Bemina, Srinagar, on August 14.
Relatives of the victim alleged that delays in crucial diagnostic tests and a failure to promptly recognize the severity of the child’s condition led to his untimely death, stating he had been brought to the facility two days earlier with a throat infection, given medication, and sent home twice as his health progressively deteriorated. Conversely, hospital authorities rejected the social media narratives as incomplete, explaining that the child was admitted with a severe acute illness presenting as fever, seizures, lethargy, restlessness, sore throat, and facial and neck swelling. The medical team managed active convulsions with anticonvulsant therapy, and an echocardiogram revealed mild left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of around 50 percent. As hemodynamic instability developed, advanced life support—including intubation, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor support—was initiated. Hospital officials stated, “Despite active and appropriate resuscitative and supportive measures, the child’s condition continued to deteriorate,” leading to his death at 8:25 PM on August 14. Treating clinicians noted differential diagnoses including meningoencephalitis, atypical febrile seizure, and shock. The Medical Superintendent has directed the Head of the Department of Paediatrics to conduct an in-house enquiry to verify all clinical facts and submit a detailed report with recommendations within four working days.
