The Directorate General of Health Services on Thursday cancelled the licence of Ad-Din Medical College Hospital over the death of six newborns at the hospital on May 27.
DGHS director general Professor Dr Pravath Chandra Biswas announced the decision at a press conference at the directorate headquarters at Mohakhali in the capital.
‘Ad-Din Hospital’s response to the DGHS show-cause notice was not satisfactory. We have decided to cancel its licence,’ Pravath said.
He, however, said that the medical college would continue its academic activities as the action had been taken against the hospital, not the college.
On June 4, the DGHS issued a show-cause notice to hospital chairman SK Bashir Uddin, asking why action would not be taken against the institution over negligence and mismanagement linked to the death of six newborns.
To respond to the notice, the hospital was initially given 72 hours which was later extended until 5:00pm Tuesday following a request from the hospital authorities for additional time.
Earlier, a three-member DGHS probe committee found negligence and mismanagement by the hospital authorities responsible for the death of the newborns.
Health minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Wednesday said that the written explanation given by the hospital authority was not satisfactory and the government would take strict action against the hospital.
Immediately after the announcement by the director general, DGHS officials moved to the hospital to implement the order and begin the closure process.
Officials said that the hospital would be shut down after patients currently admitted there were transferred to other health facilities.
The DGHS took the decision according to the Medical Practice and Private Clinics and Laboratories (Regulation) Ordinance, 1982, which says hospital authorities can appeal for a review of the decision within 30 days.
The hospital management on Thursday in a press release urged the government to allow them to operate the hospital until the final decision.
As of Thursday, 416 patients remained admitted to the hospital’s different departments. In addition to that 60 infants were undergoing treatment at the NICU unit, 20 patients in the ICU and four patients at the CCU of the hospital.
However the hospital authority did not clear whether they will apply for review or not.
