The medical board set up to supervise the treatment of a girl student who attempted suicide at University of Lahore was reconstituted on Wednesday, with number of its members increased to seven from four, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The seven members who will treat the girl student, Fatima, at Lahore General Hospital (LGH) are: Principal Prof Farooq Afzal, Prof of Medicine Dr Khurram Saleem, Head of Pulmonology Department Dr Javed Magsi, Associate Prof Gynae Dr Saira Zeeshan, Jodat Saleem and others.
Principal Prof Farooq Afzal said senior doctors of all departments have continuously been monitoring the condition of the girl student.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Ameeruddin Medical College Principal Prof Farooq Afzal said the student’s condition has improved but the next 48 hours were critical.
A special medical board, headed by Prof Jodat Saleem, has been formed comprising specialists from neurosurgery, surgery, orthopaedics, pulmonology and gynaecology.
Prof Jodat Saleem said the patient was in shock on arrival and had lost significant blood. Doctors administered two units of blood and successfully stabilised her condition.
Love angle
Sources in the police revealed that 21-year-old Fatima liked Ahmad, who is a resident of her hometown Narang Mandi and wanted to marry him, but her family was not willing.
The family, the sources said, rather asked Fatima to keep focus on her studies.
The heartbroken girl attempted suicide after failing to persuade her family for agreeing to her marriage with Ahmad.
The sources the last phone call Fatima made was to Ahmad, after she deleted Ahmad’s number.
Earlier, police have widened the scope of investigation into the case of the girl student’s attempted suicide, following an earlier similar incident involving a male student who died.
The University of Lahore also constituted a ‘high-level’ inquiry committee comprising senior faculty members and the management officers hours after a D. Pharmacy student attempted suicide by jumping from the second floor of the varsity building on Monday last.
Fatima was rushed to the hospital with her both legs fractured badly and injuries to her other body parts. The police inquiries so far suggested that she took the extreme step following the pressure of her family to continue her studies in D. Pharmacy while she found it a tough subject. There were also reports that the student and her family had heated argument on the same issue on Saturday last when she again raised the matter.
According to police officials, the student’s family has so far not submitted any application seeking legal action. Her statement could not be recorded due to the severity of her injuries.
Police said the student sustained serious injuries to her spine and lungs after jumping from the university building. All required medical tests have been repeated and investigators have also received information from her family.
Police have taken custody of CCTV footage from all cameras installed inside and around the university to establish the full sequence of events, which is currently being reviewed.
Police sources said action would be taken against the university administration if any negligence or lapse is established during the investigation.
Investigators said the student remained on a phone call for 27 minutes before jumping and had deleted the record of her last call.
Initial findings suggested that she arrived at the university in the morning but did not attend her class. She was reportedly upset after receiving 18 marks out of 35 in a test, a matter she had also discussed with her father and brother.
Police said further progress in the case would be made after recording the student’s statement.
Meanwhile, the injured student remained under treatment at Lahore General Hospital (LGH). The hospital administration confirmed that she has suffered a head injury and fractures to her back and knee.
On Tuesday, Higher Education Department (HED) Secretary Ghulam Farid Kathia visited LGH and inquired after the student. Medical Superintendent Dr Faryad Hussain briefed him on her medical condition.
Reporters Zahid Chaudhry and Abid Chaudhry