Foetus inside woman’s womb: ‘Take action against responsible doctor’

The High Court today directed the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) to take appropriate action against Sheikh Hosne Ara, a doctor of Gauripur Life Hospital and Digital Diagnostic Center in Comilla who delivered Khadiza Begum’s baby by Caesarean section leaving a foetus inside the womb.

It also ordered the managing director of the diagnostic center, Md Mojibur Rahman, to give Tk 3 lakh to Khadiza Begum as compensation.

Hosne Ara will not conduct any surgeries until the BMDC investigates and takes action against her if allegations against her are proved, the court said.

The High Court bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice AKM Jahirul Hoque also ordered the Directorate General of Health Services to investigate the incident and to take legal action over the incident.

The bench came up with the verdict in response to a suo moto rule issued by the court following the incident of leaving a foetus inside the woman’s womb after delivering the baby in October this year.

On September 18, Hosne Ara delivered Khadiza Begum's baby girl by Caesarean section at Gouripur Life Hospital and Digital Diagnostic Centre. 

An ultrasonogram report during seventh month of Khadiza's pregnancy showed that she was carrying twins. However, during surgery, the doctor delivered one baby and stitched up the mother's womb without delivering the other, conjecturing that the other was a tumour. Soon after the surgery, Khadiza started to suffer from various complications. After another ultrasonogram revealed that the other twin was still inside her womb, Khadiza was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on October 22.

On October 25, DMCH doctors conducted another surgery on Khadiza and delivered a stillborn baby.