Doctor in ICU after being attacked over patient's death

A doctor suffered serious injuries after being attacked over the death of a patient at a private hospital in Chattogram today.

The injured physician, Riaz Uddin, is being treated at the ICU at Medical Centre Hospital in critical condition, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent.

Nipu Barua, in-charge of Medical Centre Hospital, said a one-year-old baby girl was admitted to the neonatal ICU with bronchopneumonia around 10:00pm on Saturday. He added that the patient's condition was very critical but doctors and hospital staff tried their best to treat her.

"However, the patient died around 10:00am on Sunday," he said.

After her death, the patient's attendants and some locals from the city's Lalkhan Bazar area attacked doctors and other staffers, alleging negligence in treatment, Nipu Barua added.

"Dr Riaz Uddin, a consultant of child health at this hospital, suffered a critical injury to his head in this attack," he said.

"We are making preparation to file a case over the incident," he said.

Contacted, Dr Faisal Iqbal Chowdhury, general secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association, Chattogram chapter, said they have informed the matter to the commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police and also to the health minister.

"We have given an ultimatum of 24 hours to take legal step against the miscreants," he said. "The same incident occurred in a private hospital in Patiya upazila a couple of days ago but police could not arrest a single miscreant."

Meanwhile, Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (Swachip) has condemned the attack on the doctor and demanded exemplary punishment of the persons involved in it.

In a letter signed by its president Dr Jamal Uddin Chowdhury and general secretary Dr Kamrul Hasan, the organisation said the attack on Dr Riaz Uddin took place as nobody has been arrested for previous attacks on physicians including the one in Patiya of Chattogram on April 10.

Swachip also condemned that attack but no action has yet been taken against the attackers, it added.

It demanded immediate arrest of the people involved in both incidents and proper trial of them.