Published On:Saturday, 18 October 2014
At LD, docs fed patients dextrose to remain alive
Chilling account of failed SOS to Govt.
Srinagar: The report on the Kashmir floods by the Supreme Court formed committee paints a very grim picture of how the administration vanished and left patients to perish at the lone maternity hospital of the valley. So bad was the situation at LD hospital that doctors fed patients medicines to keep them alive.
The committee which submitted its report before the Supreme Court had detailed tragic account of what happened at the Lal Ded Hospital during the floods.
The committee which submitted its report before the Supreme Court had detailed tragic account of what happened at the Lal Ded Hospital during the floods.
“Dr. Shehnaz Teing, HOD Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Lal Ded Hospital Srinagar who was in the maternity centre stated that since the flood water was rising rapidly, she talked to Suraya Abdullah and then to the Chief Minister and also to her father and requested them for help. She stated that “on Facebook, I informed the Chief Minister also that the hospital is inundated”, the report, a copy of which is with the Kashmir Monitor, states on page 10.
“One patient was very critical. As there was no light, we operated her on Sunday under candle light. Both mother and baby survived. Since no effort was made by administration to evacuate the patient, the people were getting agitated”, the report adds.
One of the most damning part of the report says that despite being inundated and water continuing to rise the clueless state government declared LD Hospital as safe.
“Even though whole of the Lal Ded Hospital was inundated, yet the government irresponsibly declared Lal Ded Hospital safe. On hearing this people came to us and raised hue and cry as to how Lal Ded Hospital is being declared safe. They attacked Dr.Tazeem with a table. She escaped death by just few inches. By Monday the situation was very grim”, the report says.
With nothing to eat and drink the doctors started lateral thinking and came up with innovations to keep themselves, patients and their staff alive.” As we had nothing to eat, we directed the patients to take dextrose directly so that patients could remain alive. By 3 PM there was no hospital”, says a paragraph on page 12.
Shockingly while the situation continued to be grim at LD Hospital, the Medical Superintendent managed to get out from the building leaving his patients and staff at gods mercy.” The situation in the Lal Ded Hospital was becoming grave every moment. The Medical Superintendent then managed to come out of the hospital, but he did not come back. No one came to our rescue. When we came out of the hospital thorough the hole and started walking on the wall, one of our registrars was pregnant by 08 months”, the report reads.
Dr.Teing while recording her statements to the SC panel hailed the efforts of youth and said that they were all alive only because of them.” It is only because of the efforts of those youngsters that we could save ourselves, 300 patients and their attendants. In fact these youngsters are our hope”, the report reads.
Dr.Shahnaz Teing interestingly is the daughter of M Y Taing, a close aide of Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah and a former National Conference MLC.
