A journalist covering the incident also claimed that he was assaulted and his mobile phone was taken away.
The incident took place at the hospital last night (4 October) night at Islami Bank Hospital in Motijheel, Dhaka. Photo: Collected
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The incident took place at the hospital last night (4 October) night at Islami Bank Hospital in Motijheel, Dhaka. Photo: Collected
A dispute between relatives of a 13-year-old girl who died at Islami Bank Hospital in Motijheel, Dhaka, and the hospital authorities escalated into an alleged assault, vandalism and a clash, with both sides trading accusations.
The hospital authorities claimed that 10 of their staff members were injured, while the patient’s relatives alleged that hospital staff attacked them. A journalist covering the incident also claimed that he was assaulted and his mobile phone was taken away.
The incident took place at the hospital last night (4 October) night.
The girl’s relatives alleged that she died because doctors failed to perform surgery in time after her appendix ruptured. The hospital authorities, however, said she died before surgery could be performed after being brought in in critical condition.
The hospital authorities also accused the relatives of demanding Tk10 lakh in extortion. The allegation was denied by the girl’s cousin, Shahriar Sabuj, who countered that hospital staff attacked them when they went there to demand justice.
Shahjahanpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Amirul Islam told The Business Standard that tensions arose between the patient’s relatives and the hospital authorities over the death of a female patient. Police went to the scene and brought the situation under control.
Both sides have filed written complaints with the police station, he said.
Speaking to TBS, hospital authorities and the relatives said Mahima was taken to Islami Bank Hospital on Friday (2 October) evening with severe abdominal pain. She had previously been taken to Pan Pacific Hospital, from where she was advised to go to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. She was later admitted to Islami Bank Hospital in critical condition.
An ultrasound conducted on the advice of the emergency department doctor detected a ruptured appendix, and preparations for surgery began. However, Mahima died on Saturday morning before she could be taken to the operating theatre.
Her cousin Shahriar Sabuj alleged that Mahima was admitted at around 6:30pm on Friday. Although doctors prepared for surgery, it was not performed that night, and she died the following morning. He accused the hospital of medical negligence and demanded justice.
Rayhan Hasan, assistant director of Islami Bank Hospital’s Motijheel branch, said Mahima had been admitted in an emergency condition with a ruptured appendix and died before surgery.
Abul Kalam Azad, the hospital’s administrative officer, alleged that after Mahima’s death, her relatives took her body to Gazipur and buried her that night.
He claimed that around 10pm on Sunday, a man named Shahriar Sabuj arrived at the hospital with several others. According to Azad, Sabuj identified himself as a member of the Jubo Dal from Ward 9 of Shahjahanpur and demanded Tk10 lakh over alleged medical malpractice.
“When I asked them to move a little away from the gate, they grabbed me by the collar and started beating me. They then went up to the second floor and vandalised the labour room,” Azad alleged.
He claimed that 10 hospital staff members were injured in the incident.
Assistant Director Rayhan Hasan separately alleged that some unruly people from the Railway Colony had been demanding extortion money from the hospital for the past two days. He claimed they vandalised the hospital on Sunday night after their demands were not met.
He said security staff tried to move the group away from the hospital entrance to protect patients receiving treatment, and police arrived shortly afterwards to bring the situation under control.
Sabuj denied the extortion allegations, saying Mahima was his cousin and that they had gone to the hospital to seek justice over her death. He alleged that hospital staff attacked them instead.
He also claimed that the hospital authorities had tried to settle the matter in exchange for money, but the relatives refused.
Meanwhile, Monir, a journalist with online news outlet York News, went to the hospital to cover the incident after learning of the girl’s death.
He alleged that hospital staff attacked him with sticks when he tried to film the protest by the patient’s relatives. He also claimed that his mobile phone was taken away, but another person later returned it.
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