SRINAGAR: A doctor posted at Sub-District Hospital Kreeri in Baramulla was allegedly mistreated by the Station House Officer (SHO) of the police station Kreeri after attendants fled the hospital with a deceased patient’s body. This incident has led to an inquiry ordered by the SSP Baramulla into the conduct of the SHO.
A top health official told Srinagar based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com that a young man’s body was brought to the hospital by a group of people around 7:10 AM on Sunday.
“The doctor on duty, Dr. Jehangir Ahmad, immediately attended to the deceased and initiated CPR while calling the Kreeri police station multiple times. However, the situation escalated when the ‘mob’ forcibly took the body away from the hospital before the police arrived. Despite being located just two minutes away, the police party took 20-25 minutes to reach the scene,” he said.
“Following these events, Dr. Ahmad was misbehaved on call and threatened of ‘arrest’ and dire consequences. The SHO Kreeri verbally harassed him on a phone call and then physically mistreated him for allowing the body to leave the hospital despite their delayed arrival,” he added.
Taking strong note of the incident , SSP Baramulla has ordered an inquiry.
“Whereas today, i.e., on 25 August 2024 at 0645 hrs, information was received by police station (PS) Kreeri that a male dead body had been brought to SDH Kreeri by locals/relatives of the deceased. It was not clear from initial information whether death was suspicious or attributable to natural causes. Parties from PS Kreeri swung into action to get further details about the matter,” reads an inquiry order issued by the Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla, a copy of which lies with Kashmir Dot Com.
“Whereas during preliminary enquiry, it was discovered that locals/ relatives of the deceased had taken the dead body for last rites and the medical team at SDH Kreeri were also unable to definitively inform police whether death was suspicious or attributable to natural causes. Following this, a police party rushed to the concerned village, enquired in detail, examined the body, and concluded that since the deceased had been under long-term care at Soura Institute, death was most probably not suspicious.”
“Whereas it was later learned that during the episode summarized above, SHO PS Kreeri talked in a disrespectful manner with Dr Jehangir Ahmad posted in SDH Kreeri, which has caused distress and anguish to Dr Jehangir. The matter was reported to the undersigned by various medical professionals who demanded stern action into the matter.”
“Considering the facts above, I hereby order that Sh Syed Yasir Qadri-JKPS, Addl SP Baramulla shall conduct an enquiry to examine the incident in detail, ascertain facts, recommend disciplinary action for the use of disrespectful language, and recommend remedial measures to be undertaken. Additionally, the enquiry should suggest measures to ensure that such an incident does not happen in the future. Findings and recommendations shall be provided to the undersigned within three days,” the order further added.
Meanwhile, the medical fraternity has strongly condemned the doctor’s arrest and demanded strict action against the erring police officials. (KDC)
