Late former minister E Ahamed's family horror-struck after hospital denies visiting permission

New Delhi [India], Feb. 1 (ANI): The family of former union minister E Ahamed, who passed away in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, after suffering a cardiac arrest in the Parliament on Tuesday, has lashed out at the administration of the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital here where he was admitted, saying that they have not been allowed to meet Ahamed nor have been consulted regarding his medical procedures. Speaking to ANI here, Nazeer Ahamed, son of the ailing politician said that he and his other family members have been barred from meeting his father and are not being kept in loop in regard to any medical developments. "My simple request was that I be allowed to see my father and I'm told that I cannot see him. I've been told that everybody has been allowed to see him all morning without any problem, so I think as a son, I have the right to see my father and get an explanation as to what is going on," he said. Ahamed further stated that his family is appalled at the way they are being kept on the sidelines at such a critical juncture. "If they are doing any new treatment, there is nothing being discussed with us. I think the decision seems to be made by the junior doctors on call, instead of at least consulting with the family. That has not happened even once," he added. The senior politician's daughter, who was also keeping vigil in the premises of RML, expressed her shock and dismay at the "unprofessional" and "unethical" behaviour by the hospital administration. Nazeer's brother-in-law Babu Shehzad, who is a nephrologist, asserted that the hospital had no protocol for visitors, which was disturbing and stressed on how the family had begged and pleaded with the administration to visit Ahamed, but to no avail. "This is our basic right and we were not allowed. When I asked to see the protocol for visitors there was no such thing. They wanted to do the ECMO procedures so that he can be sustained on artificial means, and that was not even discussed with the family. How can they do it? It's assault," he stated. Earlier, the Congress top brass including party president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the ailing politician in the hospital. Congress General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad was also part of the visiting delegation at the RML hospital here. The MP from Kerala's Mallapuram is on artificial life support and a team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition. Earlier, 78-year-old Ahamed, fell unconscious soon after he took a seat in the rear rows of the Central Hall. At around 2.15 PM, he was shifted to the RML trauma centre's ICU where he was put on ventilator. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also inquired about his health. Ahamed had served as Minister of State for External Affairs in the previous UPA government. (ANI)