Suhail Rather
Bandipora, March 14: The administration of District Hospital Bandipora is under scrutiny for failing to submit its inquiry report on the alleged unnecessary referral of a pregnant woman to LD Hospital, Srinagar.
Despite the official order directing the hospital to complete its investigation by March 3, no report has been submitted yet, leaving the patient’s family frustrated and demanding justice.
The controversy erupted after Umar Akbar Khan, a resident of Kaloosa, Bandipora, lodged a formal complaint against the hospital. He alleged that his sister, scheduled for a C-section, was referred to LD Hospital at around 3:30 AM on February 28, despite their repeated requests to conduct the surgery in Bandipora itself. The family claims the referral caused unnecessary distress, as they had to rush to Srinagar in an emergency condition. However, upon reaching LD Hospital at 6:00 AM, the patient was made to wait for nine hours before undergoing surgery at 3:00 PM.
“If the case was truly an emergency, why did the doctors at LD Hospital delay the surgery for nine hours? And if there was no urgency, why did the doctors at Bandipora Hospital insist on an immediate referral?” questioned Khan in his complaint to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bandipora.
Following the complaint, the Deputy Commissioner Bandipora ordered a thorough probe into the matter. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bandipora, Dr. Rafi Ahmad Salati, directed the Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Bandipora to seek a comprehensive report from the concerned gynecologist and attending doctor.
An official order (No: CMOB/Estt/2024-25/2244-46) instructed the hospital to provide details of the medical interventions given to the patient, findings, diagnosis, and justifications for the referral. The administration was given five days to submit its findings.
In response, the Medical Superintendent of DH Bandipora constituted a four-member team of doctors on March 1 and directed them to complete the inquiry by March 3. However, despite the deadline passing, the hospital administration has yet to submit the report, leading to growing frustration among the patient’s family and the public.
The complainant’s family has expressed deep disappointment over the hospital’s failure to meet the deadline. They now demand that an independent team of doctors from other district hospitals be assigned to conduct a fair and unbiased investigation.
“This delay raises serious doubts about the transparency of the inquiry. We suspect an attempt to cover up negligence. We urge the authorities to appoint an external panel of doctors from other hospitals in the district to investigate this matter thoroughly,” the family stated.
Beyond this specific case, the family has raised broader concerns about what they describe as a “systematic failure” of District Hospital Bandipora. They allege that frequent and unnecessary referrals are causing immense hardship to patients, forcing them to travel long distances even for manageable medical conditions.
Health authorities had assured that action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation. However, with the hospital failing to submit its report on time, the credibility of the process is now being questioned.
Locals said they are now waiting for a response from the Deputy Commissioner and the CMO Office regarding the next course of action. The key questions remain—Was the referral truly necessary? Or was it part of an emerging pattern of unnecessary patient transfers?
As the family continues to seek justice, the delay in the inquiry has only intensified demands for accountability and better maternal healthcare services in Bandipora.
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