Karachi youth dies after five public, private hospitals 'refuse treatment'

KARACHI: In an unfortunate incident highlighting the apathy of the health sector, a 22-year-old student in Karachi died after at least five public and private hospitals refused to offer treatment to him following fatal injuries in a road accident, ARY NEWS reported.

According to the details shared by the ambulance driver and eye-witnesses, the youngster identified as 22-year-old Arif, sustained injuries in a road accident near Karimabad bridge. However, lack of treatment and shifting him between multiple Karachi hospitals led to his death.

The sources said that a report has been prepared into the death and two government hospitals including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre are blamed for their negligence in this regard.

“A final decision on action against them will be taken by health minister Azra Fazl Pechuhu,” he said.

Sharing the timeline of the incident that culminated over the death of a youngster, eye-witnesses and ambulance driver narrated that Arif Hashim got injured in a road accident on September 12 and he was immediately rushed to a private hospital nearby that lacked needed medical facility to treat him.

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He was later shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where staffers claimed that the hospital does not has CT Scan and neurosurgery facility, once again moving him to JPMC hospital.

However, authorities at the Jinnah hospital also refused treatment to him while claiming that they do not treat patients whose identity is not ascertained.

He was once again brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where he finally breathed his last.