Mother of newborn who died due to 'negligence' at Central Hospital passes away

Mahbuba Rahman Akhi, mother of the newborn who died at Dhaka's Central Hospital due to "negligence" on June 10, passed away Sunday at Labaid Hospital in Dhanmondi, reports UNB.

Md Pervez Islam, officer-in-charge of Dhanmondi Police Station, said Akhi was undergoing treatment at the Labaid Hospital for the last several days, and she breathed her last around 2:00 pm.

Earlier, on 15 June, police arrested two physicians of Central Hospital in a case filed over the death of a newborn due to alleged negligence and wrong treatment. The arrestees --  Shahjadi and Munna -- are physicians at the Central Hospital, located on Green Road in Dhanmondi area.

Yeakub Ali Sumon, Akhi's husband, filed a case on 10 June against six identified individuals and several other unidentified people over "wrong treatment" by the physicians that led to the death of the newborn, said OC Pervez.

The two physicians were arrested from the private hospital after they were implicated in the case, he said. According to the case statement, Akhi was under the supervision of gynecologist Sangjukta Saha of Central Hospital for the last three months, and her condition was stated to be normal. Earlier, the gynecologist assured Akhi's family that she would give birth through a normal delivery.

Akhi was hospitalised with labour pain at the hospital under the supervision of the gynecologist around 12:50 am on 10 June. Though Sangjukta was not present at the time of hospitalisation, her assistant said that she was working in the operation theatre. The arrested physicians allegedly conducted the delivery, which caused the death of a newborn.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on 16 June ordered Central Hospital to suspend activities of its operation theatre until further orders due to dissatisfactory services at the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department. Besides, the hospital’s gynecologist, Sangjukta Saha, has been asked not to provide any specialist service at the organisation until written approval from the DGHS.