Why Prince was not airlifted to AIIMS Delhi despite struggling for survival?
VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: As if security lapse was not enough post-Rajouri terror attack, the administrative apathy led to death of 23-year-old Prince Sharma on Sunday morning.
The astonishing, shameful and callous attitude of the administration and medical fraternity added to the toll from six to seven after eight days of the brutal carnage.
Despite family’s desperate pleading, in the wake of having lost their elder son Deepak Sharma in the massacre, no heed was given to airlift Prince Sharma to AIIMS Delhi from Rajouri on January 1, the fateful night of the attack.
Two injured Rohit Sharma, son of Gopal Dass and Shubam Sharma, son of Satish Kumar were airlifted to Jammu the same night. However, Prince was supposed to be airlifted in morning but the clueless and panic ridden administration after IED explosion wherein two children killed ignored the pleas of Prince’s family.
On Jan 1, terror strike at Dangri; on Jan 3, Prince was being shifted to Jammu by road and returned after traveling 5 kilometers as only Technician in ambulance said that his condition is deteriorating; on Jan 4, he was airlifted to Jammu despite the family’s demand of his shifting to AIIMS Delhi
Meanwhile, on Jan 2, Shubam’s family, realising the poor management in GMC Jammu, took him to Chandigarh the same day at their own expenses for treatment.
On January 3, Prince was put in ambulance (108) without any doctor for shifting him to Jammu. However, the lone technician in the ambulance refused to take Prince to Jammu after traveling 5 kilometers as his para-meters deteriorated. The ambulance returned to Rajouri and he was again kept in the Rajouri hospital at God’s mercy.
On January 4, Prince was airlifted to Jammu after his relatives again raised hue and cry on his deteriorating condition at Rajouri. As per the frantic requests by the family, he was not airlifted to Delhi but to Jammu GMC, where the post operative care is not possible as stated by a doctor of GMC Rajouri, who on the condition of anonymity spoke to STATE TIMES this afternoon, saying, “On day one, I suggested the administration to airlift Prince Sharma to AIIMS Delhi for specialised treatment and post operative care which is not possible in Jammu,”
“We lack best nursing care; we have no trained staff, neither at GMC Rajouri nor at Jammu GMC”, said the Rajouri based doctor, who was perturbed after his advice was ignored. He added, “This life could have been saved if on the day-1, Prince had been shifted to AIIMS Delhi.
“The father of Prince and Deepak has already expired. Their 62 year old mother is the only survivor in the family. How the government can help her is a question mark,” lamented Prince’s cousin Abhishekh Sharma, who for the past three days was crying at the GMC Jammu for the poor management, due to which his condition started fast decorticating.
On his family’s protest through media, Principal GMC Jammu and a team of doctors visited hospital to inquire about his condition.
“Next day, LG Manoj Sinha visited the GMC but it was already very late”, said Abhishekh, adding “an FIR be registered against the GMC Jammu management and also those who failed in deciding to shift him to AIIMS Delhi in time. Delay of four days means the precious time was lost in taking decision only. “We were repeatedly requesting the administration in Rajouri and GMC management in Jammu but no one listened to us and ultimately we went to media to expose the callousness of the GMC management” he added.
“A major lapse has led to loss of this precious life which could have been saved,” rued deceased Prince’s relatives at cremation ground at Dangri on Sunday afternoon.
“We request LG Manoj Sinha to constitute a committee to find out the lapses at Rajouri as well as at Jammu GMC and to book all those at helm of affairs,” Abhishekh demanded.
