4 days on, no action in newborn’s death

Ishfaq Tantry
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 20

Four days after a newborn died on a roadside in Srinagar, the authorities have failed to take action against the guilty. 

Despite filing a complaint with the police, no FIR has been registered in the matter. Meanwhile, the authorities at Government Medical College in Srinagar, who have been entrusted to conduct the inquiry into the matter in two days, maintained that the action against the guilty would follow after the probe concludes.

Suraya, 35, hailing from the remote Mooree village of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, had delivered a baby on the road in freezing cold on Thursday evening after the Lal Ded Maternity Hospital, Srinagar, allegedly refused to admit her. The baby died soon after the birth. 

After spending Thursday night with an acquaintance in the city, the woman and her family returned to Kupwara village and buried the body of the newborn. However, no official has approached them so far.

“We heard that the administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident. However, no official or anyone from Government Medical College has contacted us to record our statement,” Suraya’s brother Hami Zamaan told The Tribune. 

Even as the administration on Saturday ordered a time-bound inquiry into the incident, no action has been initiated by the police.

“We have not filed the FIR yet as we are awaiting the official inquiry report from the GMC principal,” an officer at the Rajbagh police station said, adding that a case would be lodged based on the contents of the inquiry report.

Though there were reports that the doctor concerned, a postgraduate student, has been attached but officials are tightlipped about what action has been taken against the hospital administration. 

When asked about the action taken against the erring doctor or the medical superintendent, Government Medical College principal Samia Rasheed said, “The inquiry into the matter is still on. We will let you know about the action taken after the inquiry is completed.”