Photo: Collected
Just a few days ago, father Mridul Islam had written about his pride in his only son Avan. In joy at his son moving up from play group to nursery, he had written on Facebook with a photo of the boy, ‘Life cannot be measured by results alone; the joy of the heart, courage, affection and love are the real achievements of life.’ Wishing his son a bright future and good health, he had written at the end, ‘Baba loves you and is proud of you.’
That very child is no more. Four-and-a-half-year-old Avan died while undergoing treatment at Universal Medical College Hospital in the capital’s Mohakhali on Saturday (3 October).
Mridul Islam has broken down after losing his only child. He alleges that his son died because of wrong treatment, the administration of an excessive dose of antibiotics and the absence of the responsible doctor.
Mridul said, ‘My child was a healthy child, he came to the hospital walking. Give me back my child, I need nothing else.’
Breaking down in tears after his child’s death, he further said, ‘They killed my boy, bhai. They killed my boy, bhai. He is gone, I cannot believe it.’
Saying the family had many plans centred on Avan, Mridul said he was preparing to send his son to school. He also said he always kept Avan close to him and went around with him.
His father claimed that Avan was eating normally while in hospital. Family members used to take food for him from home. He said the child had also phoned his father and asked to be taken home.
According to family sources, Avan was admitted to Universal Medical College Hospital on 28 September with fever and abdominal pain. Doctors began treating him on suspicion of dengue.
However, the family claims that although tests were done several times at the hospital, the dengue result came back negative. The relatives allege that treatment was nevertheless continued on the basis of dengue.
Avan was taken to the ICU on 2 October. The family alleges that the specialist doctor in charge was not physically present there; they claim the child’s treatment was being carried out on the basis of instructions given over the telephone.
The relatives said the hospital authorities had told them that the child’s physical condition was improving. However, Avan died the next day, Saturday, around 5pm.
The family alleges that Avan was given an excessive dose of antibiotics while undergoing treatment. The relatives claim that his physical condition then deteriorated, ‘shock syndrome’ set in and the child died.
The family has also alleged that at first they did not get cooperation from the hospital authorities in obtaining the necessary medical documents, including the case summary of the treatment. They later collected these documents.
The relatives claim that information on a bacterial infection in the child’s blood and shock syndrome has been found in those medical documents. On the basis of this information, the family believes the allegation of wrong treatment needs to be looked into further.
Avan’s father Mridul Islam is a media worker. The family is preparing to take legal action against the hospital authorities and the doctors concerned over the incident.
The relatives have set off for their village home with the child’s body. The family, grief-stricken at losing their only child, has demanded a proper investigation into the incident and legal action against those responsible.
