Srinagar: An elderly woman is battling for her life after she was forcibly discharged from SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) following four botched surgeries, her family says.

72-year old Qureshi Zainab was admitted to the Valley’s premier tertiary care hospital on January 21 for femoral artery thrombosis, Zainab’s son Nazir Qureshi told GNS. Over the next month, doctors at the hospital including Dr Akbar and Dr Mohammad Amin performed four operations— angiography to remove clots from her legs and axillary femoral PTFE graft onJanuary 22, 24, 31 and February 5— upon her, he said.

“However, when my mother showed no signs of improvement and her condition worsened we informed the Control Room about the same on February 22.  We were told that Dr Akbar, who had performed the main surgery, had gone on leave and that we should go to SKIMS Bemina for further treatment. Then, on February 24,   Director SKIMS Dr Showkat Zargar, came to the ward where my mother was admitted and asked us to leave the hospital.”

“When I refused, he threatened to lodge an FIR against me and directed the security guards to throw me out,” he alleged.

“The operations cost us around nearly 3 lakh rupees and then my mother was forcibly discharged from the hospital,” Qureshi said.

“Instead of taking the doctors to task for the botched operations, Dr Zargar intimidated us and literally threw us out of the hospital,” Qureshi alleged.

“My mother’s condition is worsening with each passing day. She was able to walk on her own before the surgeries but now she’s permanently bed-ridden, all because of the negligence and highhandedness of the SKIMS doctors,” he said.

Director SKIMS, Dr Showkat Zargar was not available for a comment.  (GNS)