Child’s death in hospital’s open manhole: Children’s Hospital fails to fix responsibility

LAHORE:The Children's Hospital & University of Child Health Sciences, in its inquiry report, has failed to fix responsibility for the death of an autistic child who fell into an uncovered manhole on the hospital premises.

A three-year-old child, Muhammad Basim Ikhlaq, a patient of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was found unconscious in an open manhole behind the Administration Block on 16.11.2024. The child was immediately shifted to Emergency where CPR was done but the patient could not revive and was pronounced dead.

The deceased patient’s father, Ikhlaq Ahmad, alleged that the administration has not taken swift action to find the missing child, which wasted crucial time before his recovery in an unconscious state.

“We knocked at every door from Emergency and Outdoor wards to Admn Block, but nobody helped us. Eventually, we informed Rescue 1122 and police on our own, requested to security guards and also made announcements from the mosque located inside the hospital,” he said, adding that had the search begun early with the help of CCTV footages, the child could’ve been recovered alive,” he said.

Following the tragic incident of child’s death, the Children’s Hospital Medical Director Prof Dr Tipu Sultan formed an inquiry committee to investigate the incidence of the death of autistic children with the clear direction to “submit its fact-finding report and fix the responsibilities in the matter within 24 hours positively”.

The inquiry, conducted by Dr Abid Ali Qureshi, Professor of Radiology Department/HOD, as Chairman and four members including Dr Ayesha Farid, Associate Professor of Developmental Pediatric, Dr Syed Ali Abuzar AMS (coordination), Dr Madiha Minhas, DMS (Maintenance) and Dr M Nasim Baig AMS (Maintenance), did not fix responsibility for the tragic incident in the findings submitted to the authorities.

The report of the post-incident inquiry says, “A child with disability name Basim, 03 years, visited with his mother on November 16, 2024 to the out-patient department with provisional diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder. His session was taken in the therapeutic team. The child was sent home with advice of follow up visit in the OPD of Developmental Pediatrics.

On this day at 1:30 pm, a mother approached the security guard Razzaq deputed at the parking area regarding the loss of her child from the last 20-25 minutes. The security guard looked around and informed outer area supervisor and private guard who also started looking for the lost child.

All the surrounding area was searched and the child was not found. More people were informed and integrated in search. Sewer men working in the nearby area also informed and one of them starting looking in the area specifically prohibited for public and installed with safety grills located at the back side of the Admin Block and adjacent to the In-patient block.

In this area they found uncovered manhole. Sewer man could not see anything at first look then he went inside the manhole and still was not able to see anything. The specialised safety tools were brought upon and the child was found and retrieved by the sewer man. The child was immediately shifted to emergency where he was resuscitated but could not survive.”

The inquiry report neither mentioned CCTV footages, nor any attempt to involve rescue and law-enforcement agencies in the search. It also failed to fix responsibility upon anyone for the happening of such an unfortunate on its premises.