Photo: Collected
An incident of vandalism has taken place at Islami Bank Hospital in the capital’s Motijheel over the death of a 13-year-old girl. Relatives allege that the girl, named Mahima, died because surgery was not performed in time even though she was admitted to the hospital after her appendix ruptured. The hospital authorities, however, claim that her condition was critical when she was brought to the hospital.
It was learnt from talking to the hospital authorities and relatives that Mahima was taken to Islami Bank Hospital with severe abdominal pain last Friday (2 October) evening. When an ultrasonography was done on the advice of the emergency department doctor, it was found that her appendix had ruptured. Preparations for surgery were made later, but she died on Saturday morning before she could be taken to the operating theatre.
The hospital’s administrative officer Abul Kalam Azad said that after the patient’s death, the relatives left for Gazipur with the body and buried her at night. Later, at around 10pm, a person named Shahriar Sabuj came to the hospital identifying himself as being from Shahjahanpur Ward No 9 Jubo Dal, alleged wrong treatment and demanded Tk 10 lakh.
The hospital authorities claim that although they advised going through the legal process, that person and the people with him later came and took position at the hospital. Abul Kalam Azad said that in the afternoon about 100 people took position in front of the emergency department and intimidated patients. When he asked them to stand some distance away from the gate, he was beaten up. Later they went up to the labour room on the first floor and carried out vandalism. He claimed that 10 officers and employees of the hospital were injured in this.
Shahriar Sabuj, however, has denied the allegation of demanding money. He said Mahima is his cousin. After her appendix ruptured, she was first taken to Pan Pacific Hospital. When they were advised there to take her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, she was later taken to Islami Bank Hospital in a critical condition.
Shahriar Sabuj claims that Mahima was admitted to the hospital at around 6:30pm on Friday. Although the doctors made preparations for surgery, she died the next morning as the surgery was not performed at night. He said that when they went to seek justice for the incident, the hospital’s people attacked them. On the Tk 10 lakh demand, he said he did not ask for any money; rather, it was the hospital authorities who tried to settle the matter in exchange for money, but they did not agree to it.
Toufiq Mezbah, a relative of another patient who was at the hospital at the time of the incident, said he has been admitted at the hospital with his sister since Friday and the incident took place right next to him. According to him, after the patient died the relatives left with the body. Later at night a group of people came and demanded money. After evening they came to the hospital again, beat up several people and carried out vandalism. When the situation became heated, the hospital staff chased them away.
