Protest held in Islamabad's Comsats University over alleged negligence after student dies of cardiac arrest

A 22-year-old student of Islamabad's Comsats University died of cardiac arrest on Friday, while students held the university administration responsible for the death and held protests.

The students alleged that a delay in provision of medical treatment to the boy, Inam, led to his death — a charge denied by the university. A large number of students assembled in the university premises and chanted slogans against the university administration and demanded action against those responsible for the alleged delay.

"Unfortunately a student of BBA 2nd semester at CU, Islamabad who got low blood pressure and cardiac arrest has died due to unavailability of ambulance on time, moreover a private car was not allowed to enter in the university," read a statement issued by a body of the university's students.

"So-called policies by the management took an innocent life today," it said, demanding complete investigation and punishment for all those responsible.

According to the protesting students, Inam got a heart attack and his fellow students asked the university administration to call an ambulance or arrange a vehicle so the student could be rushed to a hospital.

However, according to the students, the university administration failed to arrange an ambulance and also declined requests to allow students to bring in a private car to take Inam to the hospital.

They alleged that Inam died after lying on the floor for half an hour in a helpless condition.

The university, through a press release, rejected the allegations of delay, saying that the student had been provided emergency treatment at the university's medical centre.

"The student suffered from a massive cardiac arrest and was immediately rushed to the medical centre where he was administered emergency treatment by trained medical professionals," read the press release.

"After administering emergency treatment, the student was rushed to National Institute of Health Medical Complex, Islamabad, for further medical treatment. However, the hospital authorities declared the student dead on arrival," it added.

"The student’s family refused the postmortem of deceased student and the subsequently the body was handed over to the family."