Inhumane and assinine decision

Because the incident happened just down the road from me, and proximity piques interest, the fate of the young  student, Boobesh Palani, had been occupying my mind on and off. Sadly (or maybe not from his perspective) he died.

But I was appalled at the hospital's attitude to the youngsters who saved him from drowning and performed CPR to keep him alive.

Kelly was told yesterday morning Mr Palani was still alive. But yesterday evening she received a call from Victim Support telling her the sad news.
"It's just been awful," she said.
She said the cousins were with Mr Palani when he was first hospitalised.
Kelly said she was told she couldn't see him when the cousins went back to visit him later in the week.

"So we stayed there for about three hours and then they said they can't give out any information because we don't know him or anything. Me and Payge really, really, really wanted to go and see him. But I guess we can't now....The hospital said it did not allow people to visit patients in intensive care or the maternity ward without family permission.

Not even an exception made for two exceptional young people. Whatever they are left thinking and feeling, the tragedy has been made worse.

Hospitals need rules. But they also need to exercise compassionate and rational application of them.