AGRA: In a bizarre case of negligence, a 30-year-old man, who was injured in a fight and admitted to Mathura district hospital on March 31, died 16 hours later, as doctors and nurses there failed to attend to him because they were allegedly busy watching the T-20 semi finals match between India and West Indies.It is said that cricket is religion in India but one could have never imagined that doctors and nurses, who take the solemn oath of treating the sick over all other things, would choose to watch a game rather than attending to a patient battling for life. Though the family members of the deceased, Sonu, had been accusing the hospital of negligence from the moment he was declared dead, a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS), Dr KP Garg, confirms a prima facie case of negligence on the part of the doctors and the nurses. Dr Garg has now written to Principal Secretary health, UP, recommending action against three doctors and a nurse.According to information, Sonu, a resident of Maat area, was brought to the hospital at about 3.30 PMfollowing injuries he had sustained in a fight earlier. Though his injuries were life threatening, the doctors did practically nothing to assess his condition and shifted him to a ward about three hours later. They did not even call a specialist to see him.According to family members, Sonu wasn’t given any treatment, except being put on saline drip. They alleged that they kept pestering the doctors to refer him to Agra for treatment but they did not do so on one pretext or the other.The family members claim that Dr Susheel Kumar, who came on duty at about 8 PM, also did not attend to the patient and despite requests from them, he failed to summon a specialist to examine him. “Sonu was just kept on a drip, while the doctors and the nurses remained glued to the TV for the T-20 match”, they alleged.The family members also claim that Sonu was administered some drugs next morning at about 6 am and he succumbed to his injuries 55 minutes later. The agitated family members had later staged a demonstration at the CMS office, demanding action against the doctors.Talking to TOI, Dr Garg said a preliminary inquiry conducted by him indicated negligence on the part of three doctors and a nurse. He said available records clearly indicate the doctor on duty had failed to call a specialist to examine the patient. He said records also reveal that the doctor on call duty, Dr Lal Singh, who is supposed to take rounds of the wards in the evening and examine patients, had not done so on Thursday.While Dr Garg claimed that he was not aware as to what these doctors and nurses were doing, he admitted that the deceased’s family members had complained that they were watching the cricket match rather than attending to the patients. “On the basis of these accusations and scrutiny of various records, I’ve written to the Health Secretary to initiate action against three doctors and a nurse”, he said.Besides, Dr Lal Singh and Dr Susheel Kumar, action has also been recommended against Dr Dharamveer, who was on duty at the time Sonu was admitted, and the ward nurse, Poonam Sharma.When contacted Dr Lal Singh, said he was not informed about the patient's condition by the doctor on duty or the nurse. "My duty hours were from 8 am to 2pm and after that I only visit if I'm called by the hospital," he said adding that no one called him that day. The other doctors and the nurse were not available for comments.