Patient mysteriously disappears from hospital bed, untraced for 75 days

A helpless son shuttles between ASCOMS hospital, Sidhra PP with no clues about ailing father

DEEPAK KHAJURIA
JAMMU: In strange circumstances a patient has gone missing from the hospital of a private medical college in Jammu with no trace of his whereabouts for last two and half months.
59-years-old retired Naik Vijay Singh of village Satrain of Ranbir Singh Pura area of Jammu district was admitted in ASCOMS (Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences) hospital at Sidhra on January 9, 2017 due to some problem in his liver. He was allotted bed number 11 in Emergency Ward at the ground floor of the Hospital and his file was registered under number 268069 at ASCOMS Hospital, situated at the outskirts of the city. Suddenly, the aged patient went missing from his bed on January 11, 2017. It has been a nightmare for the family since then as the Hospital authorities and the Police have not been able to offer any clue. The Hospital and Police were alerted within an hour by son of the missing person but no breakthrough has come about so far.
The patient was accompanied by his 24-years-old son, Satish Singh, who was the lone care taker of Vijay Singh. Vijay Singh's story of struggle since the evening of January 11 has been painful.
"Two days after the admission of my father in the hospital, during treatment, on January 11, 2017, I went out to fetch some medicines as advised by the nurse at around 9:30PM. In a few minutes I found my father missing on return. I asked the nurse and then other hospital authorities but everyone feigned ignorance. Since then and till now I am searching my ailing father, but have failed in my all efforts as the Hospital and the Police have not been able to do anything", said Vijay Singh.
"From nurses to doctors and from doctors to security and from security to each and every person in the hospital management, I submitted my complaints, but nothing has been done and there is not a single clue of where my father disappeared," said the visibly broken son.
Vijay Singh further narrated, "on the same night, I called Sidhra police post and submitted the complaint, they responded and even I searched my father along with the police flying squad on the adjoining Sidhra highway, but no results."
Very next morning Satish also lodged a written missing report with police post Sidhra which falls under Nagrota police station of Jammu district. A similar missing report was also submitted by the hospital management. But there are no whereabouts till now.
When contacted, ASCOMS Hospital Principal, Dr Pawan Malhotra admitted the disappearance of patient and said that "It is first of its kind incident in our hospital that a patient gone missing from a ward and not traced after almost four months."
"It is beyond our imagination that a person goes missing from our hospital and untraced after a hectic search by police even inside the hospital and in the adjoining areas of the hospital," said the hospital principal and added, "We are still in touch with police and as well as army, as he was referred to our hospital by army doctors. Police team searched every nook and corner of ASCOMS and also the surrounding areas. We are ready to cooperate with any investigation agencies."
ASCOMS authorities and even police said though the patient was admitted due to problem in liver, but his behaviour is not normal. However, there is nothing like this on medical records.
This case has also brought to fore the absence of CCTV cameras in the ASCOMS Hospital which could have helped investigations. The CCTVs were installed in the ASCOMS after this incident, hospital authorities said.
In-charge, police post Sidhra, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Rashid informed that all efforts have been done to trace the missing ex-serviceman and statements of various people including the patients who were admitted then in the same ward as well as doctors, nursing staff and security personnel have been recorded and the hospital area and records have been searched, but no positive results. "There is no lead till date in the case, we are still in process to get the first lead in the case," concluded the concerned police officer.