Life of DNA scientist Lalji Singh could have been saved: Kin

VARANASI: Kin of former BHU vice-chancellor and country’s top DNA fingerprinting expert Lalji Singh, who died after suffering a heart attack at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Babatpur on December 10, have charged the airport authorities with failing to provide him timely assistance.
“We will take appropriate steps to draw the attention of higher authorities towards the state of affairs at the airport.My father could have been saved if timely medical assistance was provided to him at the airport,” Lalji’s son Abhishek Singh told TOI over phone from Kalwari village in Jaunpur district on Friday.
He also shared his anguish on his Twitter handle tagging with the Varanasi airport, Indigo airlines and PM: “Dr Lalji Singh could have been saved if it was not for the apathy of the #VaranasiAirport Authorities, #indigoairlines staff and lack of very basic medical infrastructure at the International Airport in #PMModi constituency Varanasi”.
Lalji, 70, who once headed the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, was accompanied to the airport by his nephew Arun Kumar Singh on December 10.
Arun told TOI that his uncle was to take an Indigo flight for Hyderabad on December 10. “He started feeling uneasiness at the airport around 4.50pm. Seeing his condition, I suggested to cancel the trip and he agreed. Sadly, looking for medical help I couldn’t find any doctor at the airport,” he said.
“ Only a para-medic was present there. He couldn’t do much except check my uncle’s heart beat and blood pressure. He told me that no doctor was available and also expressed inability in providing oxygen for immediate relief in breathlessness,” he said.
Arun added that there was no official who could tackle the problem. “Ten crucial minutes were wasted in furnishing formality for the exit from the airport,” Arun said, adding, “There was no ambulance available at the airport and I had to take my uncle to BHU hospital in a private vehicle. We reached BHU hospital at 7pm, but it was too late and he breathed his last at 9:30pm,” he added.
Abhishek, who performed the last rites of his father, said: “We will take legal course and also lodge a complaint with the civil aviation ministry and PMO soon.”
Airport director A K Rai said no medical help or ambulance was demanded by Lalji’s kin at the airport. “In such cases, patients are rushed to the nearest hospital. The airport has all medical facilities, but no demand was made to us.”