The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department has ordered an inquiry into allegations of delayed emergency treatment at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) following the deaths of three young siblings who reportedly consumed poisonous mushrooms.
The victims, identified as 11-year-old Arooj, 10-year-old Faryal and seven-year-old Azlan, belonged to a family from Garhi Ghulam Rasool in Peshawar’s Kakakhel Town.
According to reports, the children and their mother fell ill after allegedly eating mushrooms their father had collected from nearby fields.
The affected family members were taken to hospital, but complaints subsequently emerged that the children were not provided timely emergency treatment. The alleged shortage of intensive care unit beds was also cited as a possible factor in delays.
The Health Department has constituted an inquiry committee headed by Dr Ahmad Faisal, Additional Director General (Monitoring and Evaluation), and directed it to submit its findings within three days.
The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths, assess the availability of emergency medical facilities and determine whether any administrative or professional negligence occurred.
Other committee members include the deputy secretary (Administration), paediatric specialist Dr Syed Bawar Shah and a section officer responsible for medical teaching institutions.
The allegations against the hospital have not yet been substantiated, and responsibility will be determined following the inquiry.