DHSK orders inquiry, report to be submitted in 2 days
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 24: In a tragic turn of events, a woman from the remote Chontiwari area of Machil in district Kupwara was forced to deliver her baby on the roadside today due to alleged delays in snow clearance by the authorities.
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Locals identified the woman as Shaheena Begum, wife of Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, reporting she was compelled to give birth on the roadside, assisted by local women, after the road became impassable.
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Abdul Gaffar, a resident, called the incident unfortunate, blaming the authorities for failing to deploy snow-clearing machinery in time.
“Had the road been cleared earlier, she could have reached the hospital and delivered under better conditions with proper medical care,” he said.
According to residents, snow clearance operations had not begun by 10 am, and no machinery had been pre-deployed.
After spending a considerable amount of time on the roadside, wrapped in blankets, the woman delivered her baby. She was later taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) for medical care.
Muhammad Jamal, another resident, pointed out that while the area does have a health center, it lacks doctors.
“This facility should be equipped to handle emergencies like this, but remote areas like ours are always neglected,” he alleged.
Videos shared on social media captured the frustration of locals, with one resident lamenting, “Is there anyone listening? We are being left at God’s mercy,” while highlighting the challenges they faced in transporting the patient to a hospital.
Health Department officials told Excelsior that the woman had been relocated to Kupwara prior to her due date and advised to stay there to ensure proper medical supervision.
“We had facilitated her relocation as per protocol, but she left without permission and got stranded when time of her delivery came,” the officials stated.
They added that an inquiry has been initiated to investigate the circumstances leading to the roadside delivery.
“The matter is under investigation. However, there was a delay by the family informing us, and slippery road conditions further hindered the ambulance’s arrival,” they explained.
Officials confirmed that both the mother and baby are in good condition and are being monitored until they are ready for discharge.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage, with locals demanding accountability from the administration. They called for urgent measures to improve snow clearance operations and healthcare services in the area to prevent such incidents in the future.
The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) has taken serious note of an alleged emergency response failure and an inquiry has been ordered to investigate the incident.
“Taking cognizance of the incident reported on social media in Chontiwari, Madill district Kupwara, sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of an inquiry committee comprising of the following: Dr. Jehanzaib Tanki, Deputy Director (Dentistry), DHSK – Chairman, Dr. Yasmeen Kangoo, Assistant Director, DHSK – Member, Dr. Arjumand Bashir, DNO, DHSK – Member, Aijaz Hussain Bhat – Member,” read an order issued by DHSK.
The committee has been instructed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and submit its findings within two days. The directive specifies that the Chief Medical Officer of Kupwara and his subordinates, including ASHA workers, facilitators, and other healthcare staff linked to the incident, must be present before the inquiry committee on November 25, 2024, at 2 PM.
The order also emphasizes strict compliance: “The inquiry committee thus constituted shall conduct in-depth inquiry into the incident and submit its report with specific recommendations within two days positively, enabling to take appropriate action against the persons found involved as per Law.”
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