The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has not initially found any evidence that the death of 9-month-old infant Ayan Abdullah at Dhaka’s Padma General Hospital was due to the absence of doctors and negligence.
However, DGHS Additional Director General Zahid Raihan has noted that the vandalism of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) will be considered a criminal offence. Despite this he announced that an investigation committee will be formed over the incident based on the family’s complaints.
He made the remarks at a briefing to journalists at the hospital at 11:30am on Monday.
Previously, a two-member team from the DGHS came to inspect the hospital at 10:00 am. They held a briefing after discussions with the hospital manager and doctors. DGHS Hospital and Clinic Division Director Dr Nurul Islam and Assistant Commissioner (Land) of the Dhanmondi area Jannatul Ferdous were in attendance.
At the briefing, Dr Zahid Raihan told reporters: “The child had a complex physical condition, suffering from several diseases. He was suffering from food stuck in the food pipe and septicemia near the end. Initially, we have not found any negligence on the part of the hospital.
“The person who made the livestream that went viral on social media is not a close relative of the child; he is a content creator. They have committed a criminal offence by vandalising the PICU room. If the hospital authorities want, they can take legal assistance in this regard.”
Regarding the claim about the absence of doctors and negligence, he said: “Two doctors, including Consultant Dr Nazmul Haque, were present in the hospital at the time of the incident. However, when the commotion started, the doctors took up positions in another room for security reasons.”
“We are forming a committee to investigate this incident. It will look into everything, including the death of the child, the hospital’s infrastructure, and the collection of excess fees. Action will be taken according to the types of negligence found in the report after the investigation.''
Asked about this, the hospital's Medical Officer Dr Nazmul Haque said, ''The child was supposed to be given a discharge certificate on Monday. But before that, he suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest. At one stage, he stopped breathing.''
The Family’s Claims and the Hospital’s Statements
The deceased Ayan had been admitted to the hospital for the past 13 days with various complications. A day before receiving the discharge certificate, his physical condition suddenly deteriorated after 9pm on Sunday. He died shortly after.
Then, on Sunday night, an individual named Asif Hasan went on Facebook Live with allegations regarding the child’s death. Asif could not be contacted on social media.
The hospital authorities claim that he is a distant relative of the deceased child and he made the livestream intentionally.
In the video Asif alleges the infant seemed normal until the afternoon of the day he died.
In the evening, as he was being fed, his body gradually started turning blue. Later, the family members were informed that the child would have to be put on life support.
He also alleged that the hospital authorities did not allow them to see the child when the family asked to do so. Later, when his physical condition deteriorated, the doctors declared him dead.
The hospital authorities allege that agitated relatives had destroyed valuable medicines and medical supplies at the hospital, while also assaulting some nurses. However, the hospital authorities did not provide any CCTV footage to support these allegations.
Asked about the overall situation, Hospital Manager Sirajul Islam said, "Our doctors were there at that time. But during the live broadcast, the person threatened to kill them, so the doctors took safe shelter in a room to save their lives.
How Patients Come to the Hospital
The hospital manager said that more than 15 children are currently admitted to the PICU in the 100-bed hospital.
Relatives of several patients say that they came here because they could not find a bed at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital. Some of them came through references or recommendations from ambulance drivers or doctors at Shishu Hospital.
The father of a child named Rahat said, "I have been here for more than a week. I went to the Shishu Hospital and did not get a bed there. A doctor told me to come here.”
He claimed the doctor told him to come as the ICU facilities are available at a lower fee.
A mother named Fatema Begum said, "We went to Dhaka Medical College, but did not get a bed there. Later, we came here at the recommendation of an ambulance driver."
Asked about the doctor's references and brokers, Dr Zahid Raihan said: "We are ashamed of such matters. However, often hospitals are not in a position to admit a child. This matter will be given the due weight during the investigation.
