All-party team members cancel visit to 2 hospitals

Fearing more trouble, 11 members of the all-party delegation on Tuesday put off their visit to two hospitals here, but visited one and spoke to the injured. They were met with pro-Azadi slogans in the hospital.

The delegation members, including Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Sawraj and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, were scheduled to visit the Bone and Joint Hospital and the S.K. Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), the biggest tertiary hospital here. However, they put it off at the last moment after receiving reports that they might face stronger protests there.

Principal of the Government Medical College Shahida Mir reached the Bone and Joint Hospital at Barzulla early in the morning to oversee the arrangements. There was tight security ring and a battery of journalists was also present.

However, information came that the delegation would first visit the SKIMS. But when journalists went there, they found that the visit was cancelled. Thirty-one people injured in police firing are being treated at the SKIMS.

The delegation instead visited Sri Mahraja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital where heavy security was in place. It met with some injured people and informed sources said relatives and attendants of the injured raised slogans in protest against the security forces and the government, forcing the delegation members to leave soon.

Reporters were not allowed to visit the hospital.

The sources said the SMHS Hospital was cleared of most of the injured late on Monday night. However, no hospital official was ready to comment on the issue.