Medico terminated in Kashmir for death of new-born

A doctor in Kashmir has been terminated from service for failing to provide an ambulance to a pregnant woman, whose newborn baby died while delivering in a moving vehicle last week.

“The contractual services of Dr Bilal Ahmad Medical Officer under National Health Mission (NHM) presently posted at Primary Health Centre Kalaroos (Kupwara) are hereby terminated with immediate effect for denying as ambulance service to a patient leading to loss of precious time in providing medical care to the pregnant lady which tantamount the gross negligence on part of yourself towards your professional duties,” read an order issued by the deputy commissioner Kupwara, who is also chairman district health society Kupwara.

The order reads that the doctor has failed to uphold moral, ethical and professional standards in service delivery which led to the death of a newborn baby as confirmed by enquiry committee and corroborated by the CMO Kupwara

Fatima Begum, a resident of a remote area of Kalaroos in frontier Kupwara had delivered in a private vehicle after she was allegedly denied ambulance by the doctor who had referred her to Kupwara for specialised treatment.

However, the terminated doctor has rejected the allegation of not providing the ambulance to the couple. “They told me that they had their own vehicle and they would take the pregnant lady to the hospital on their own and then I let them go,” Dr Bilal said.

Earlier this year, a woman from the same area lost her new-born after she delivered the baby on road in Srinagar. The incident had forced the state government to frame standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be implemented at levels of the healthcare system and to ensure that patients reach the destination hospital safely and are provided adequate care.

However, the latest incident has put a question mark over the implementation of the SOP during referrals.