MULTAN: An inquiry committee, constituted on the directions of the chief minister to probe the death of twin sons of Shan Saleem due to the alleged negligence of the doctors and paramedics of Nishtar Hospital, has reportedly declared the doctors and staffers innocent.

The twins of Saleem had died in the hospital on Tuesday. The deaths triggered a demonstration by the family members who alleged that the babies had died of flawed blood transfusion.

A two-member committee, consisting of Dr Sajjad Sarwar and Dr AmiruddinChohan, recorded the statements of both the complainant and hospital staff on Wednesday. The committee have yet to submit their report but, according to Dr Siddique Saqib who was coordinating with the committee, said blood transfusion was not the cause of death.

`A blood transfusion was given to one baby (Rehan) on Monday evening and he died on Tuesday morning at about 4am,` he said.

He said that the baby would have died instantly if he was given a blood transfusion without cross-matching.

He said both babies were admitted to the hospital in a critical condition and they died because of low weight and chestinfection.

`Both babies were 1.7 kilogramme each and the survival chances of a baby with less than 2kg are rare,` he said.

He said that the baby was given a blood transfusion after cross-matching of blood while other baby was not given at all.

Two more committees were also constituted one by Nishtar Hospital Principle Kamran Salik and the other by Medical Superintendent Dr Ashig Malik on Wednesday and Thursday.

The committee made by the principle includes Dr Umer Farooq, Dr Abdul Ghaf far and Dr Zaffar Alvi.

Dr Alvi said that only the family is claiming that there is no documentary evidencein the hospital record that both babies were given blood transfusion.

Mr Saleem said that he with other family members appeared before the committees and recorded their statements.

He said that entire record and history of the both babies was with the hospital administration.

He said that one of his sons had got a blood transfusion even though a senior doctor had not suggested it but the staff went ahead with it.

He said that his other son who was actually suggested a blood transfusion was later given a blood transfusion from the same bottle that was earlier used on his first son.