*Clinic closed, police apprehends owner
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Feb 24: A 15-year-old girl from Dandkot Malhut in the Darhal area of Rajouri district tragically passed away today after visiting a private dental clinic in Rajouri town for a dental examination, where she received an injection prescribed by the attending doctor.
The death of the minor ignited significant protests, leading authorities to shut down the clinic and detain the responsible medical personnel.
The mother of the deceased, Asrat Naaz, daughter of Mohammad Shafiq, recounted that her daughter was suffering from a toothache, prompting her initial visit to GMC Rajouri. However, as the doctor was unavailable at 8:30 am and her daughter was in severe discomfort, she decided to take her to a private clinic directly across from GMC, where a doctor assessed her and administered an injection.
After receiving the injection at a nearby pharmacy, the girl lost consciousness and subsequently received two additional injections from the pharmacy, yet did not regain awareness.
In a state of urgency, the same doctor hailed an auto-rickshaw and transported her back to GMC Rajouri, where she was unfortunately declared dead. Upon hearing the news of the girl’s demise, numerous relatives and villagers gathered outside GMC Rajouri, placing her body on the road and commencing protests.
Advocate Zaki, a Darhal resident leading the demonstration, expressed that such tragic incidents occur frequently in Rajouri, citing cases where individuals face fatal consequences due to medical negligence—either at GMC or in private facilities run by unqualified individuals granted licenses that allow them to endanger lives. He urged the authorities to initiate a murder case against the physician and seal the clinic, threatening ongoing protests otherwise.
In response to the situation, police officials sealed a pharmacy named Pir Panchal Medicos, located adjacent to Elite Dental Clinic in Khewra, Rajouri, and apprehended its operator, Tosif Shah.
Meanwhile, CMO Rajouri, Dr. ML Rana, took serious notice of the situation, resulting in the sealing of Elite Dental Clinic and the establishment of a 5-member investigative committee. According to the CMO, a team, led by Dental Surgeon Dr. Ghulam Qadir Bhatt, has been tasked with reviewing the clinic’s records, including its registration, and preparing a report. Eventually, the relatives decided to lift the girl’s body and concluded their protest.
