Niraj Bahadur Shahi, from Ward No. 8 of Ghodaghodi Municipality in Kailali, died two minutes after being given an injection at a local medical shop. The 35-year-old Shahi had gone to Dahit Medical on Monday morning after complaining of a headache.
At the time, the medical shop owner, Indra Dahit, was away in Kathmandu. Lab assistant Mahabir Chaudhary, who was working there, said Shahi had jaundice and gave him an injection. Soon after the injection, Shahi passed away, according to eyewitnesses.
Khadka Bahadur Saud, a local from the same area who had gone to the medical shop for diarrhea treatment, said, “After giving me a saline drip, they gave Niraj a shot. Right after the injection, he started coughing. While coughing, foam came out of his mouth. After a short while, he started struggling and threw up foam and spit.”
Seeing Shahi’s sudden reaction, Saud asked what had happened. The medical worker said that sometimes injections can cause such reactions. He tried to give artificial breathing through Shahi’s mouth, but Shahi had already passed away, according to Saud.
Shahi’s father-in-law, Ram Bahadur Shahi, said they had eaten breakfast together that morning before Niraj went to the medical shop. He said, “We had tea and breakfast together. He dropped the kids at school and then went to the medical because of a headache. In a short time, I had to hear the news of his death. How could my healthy son-in-law die so suddenly? Why did the person who gave the injection run away? We want justice.”
Soon after Shahi’s death, lab assistant Chaudhary fled the scene. As soon as the police were informed, a team of ten officers led by DSP Ramesh Awasthi, who had just been transferred to the local police office in Sukhad, reached the site.
Medical shop owner Indra Dahit said that the search for the runaway Chaudhary is ongoing. DSP Awasthi said preparations are being made to send the body for post-mortem. Currently, a large crowd of locals and Shahi’s relatives has gathered at the scene.
