Deaths of woman, baby: Minister promises fair investigation into incident

LANDIKOTAL: Minister for Religious Affairs Muhammad Adnan Qadri on Sunday visited the Pirokhel village to offer condolences to a family on the death of a woman and her newborn baby who recently died due to the alleged negligence of the staff of the District Headquarters Hospital.

District Police Officer Salim Abbas and others accompanied the minister.

Speaking on the occasion, Adnan Qadri said that he had no words to express grief over the death of the woman and her baby.

The minister said the matter was discussed with the head of the hospital’s inquiry committee, which he believed wanted to protect the health staff responsible for the deaths.

“I am a public representative because the people have voted for me. I will take this matter to its logical end,” Adnan Qadri vowed.

He added the matter would be probed to the satisfaction of the bereaved family. The minister rejected the inquiry of the DHQ hospital Landikotal, saying that the doctors were trying to protect the culprits.

Adnan Qadri said he was in touch with the chief minister and had discussed the matter with the health minister. He said those responsible for the deaths had no right to be paid salary.

The minister handed over Rs50,000 in cash to the family from his own pocket and pledged that he would request the chief minister for a package to help the family. DPO Salim Abbas said the police would support the committee being constituted to probe the incident. He said the inquiry would be completed within four days. He said the existing inquiry committee by the doctors was no more effective as it failed to conduct a fair investigation. He said a new committee headed by a senior health officer from Peshawar would be constituted.