KP govt probes death after hospital denies bed to injured varsity student

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formed a two-member committee to investigate the death of a Malakand University student, who died at a Peshawar government hospital after he was allegedly denied a bed.

The student was brought to the health facility in critical condition after he had sustained injuries on a road following his expulsion from the university hostel.

Sources said that Musa Khan, a journalism student at Malakand University, was expelled from his hostel for listening to Rabab music. He was later injured in a traffic accident and died after not receiving timely treatment at the government hospital in Peshawar.

Following an outcry in the provincial assembly, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government established a committee to probe the incident.

Also read: Fate of 20 KP varsities hangs in the balance after federal funding cut

During the provincial assembly session, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati ordered action against the university administration responsible for Musa Khan’s expulsion and subsequent death. Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi announced that the university’s provost and chief proctor had been relieved of their duties/responsibilities.

The inquiry committee, comprising the deputy secretary and the additional secretary for higher education, has already recorded statements from officials at Malakand University and is expected to submit its report soon, Afridi said.

Media reports and information presented in the assembly revealed that Musa Khan was playing the Rabab in his room when university authorities expelled him from the hostel at night. After being expelled from the hostel, he was walking along a road, when he was hit by a vehicle and got injured. He was rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) for emergency treatment but the hospital management allegedly denied him the bed, leading to his ultimate death.

Provincial Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah addressed the incident during the assembly session, acknowledging that the critically injured student was initially denied a bed and was referred to another hospital. He said that Musa Khan lost his life due to a severe head injury.

During a press conference, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health minister announced a development budget of Rs19 billion for the health sector in the current fiscal year. However, the loss of a student’s life due to the unavailability of a hospital bed has raised questions about the effectiveness of the health department’s performance.