CHAKOTHI: A six-month-old infant lost his life in Chokothi, a border area of Jhelum Valley near the Line of Control, after allegedly being denied timely medical treatment due to the absence of staff at the Rural Health Center (RHC) Chokothi.
According to local people, the infant, identified as Ayan, son of Abdul Hameed Hamid and a resident of Nagni Kakiyan, was brought to the RHC with symptoms of pneumonia on Sunday.
However, the hospital was found locked, with no doctor, dispenser, or ambulance driver present. Due to the unavailability of medical assistance, the family attempted to shift the child to Hattian Bala in a private vehicle, but the infant succumbed to his illness on the way.
Following the incident, grieving relatives and local residents staged a protest by placing the child’s body on the Srinagar–Muzaffarabad Road, chanting slogans against the Health Department. The protest continued for nearly five hours, causing severe traffic disruption.
Several hours later, District Health Officer (DHO) Jhelum Valley Dr. Tahir Rahim Mughal, along with police officers arrived at the scene.
After negotiations, the DHO suspended RHC technician Shabbir Hussain and ambulance driver Shafqat Sheikh, and assured the protesters that 24-hour staff attendance at the health facility would be ensured in the future.
After receiving assurances from the administration, the protesters ended the demonstration. The child’s body was later taken to his native village Kakiya.
Local residents expressed serious concern over the chronic shortage of medical staff in hospitals across Jhelum Valley, stating that the lack of round-the-clock services has become a routine issue.
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