Doctors, nurses leave c-section patient, newborn in OT as DGHS raids
Doctors, nurses and other employees of a hospital in Narayanganj yesterday abandoned a mother and her newborn on an operating table after hearing that health directorate officials were raiding unlicensed hospitals in the area.
The mother had just given birth through a Caesarean section at the Padma General Hospital in Shimrail.
Officials of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) were conducting raids in Jatrabari when the hospital's doctors and staffers locked up the facility and left the newborn and the mother helpless.
DGHS officials told The Daily Star that they rushed to the facility after being tipped off about the matter and found the mother alone on the operating table with the baby next to her.
"When we got the tip-off, we thought we had misheard … perhaps the mother was scheduled to go into surgery or something. Never did we imagine finding this," said Mahmudur Rahman, assistant director (hospitals and clinics) at DGHS.
The officials found three other patients, who had undergone C-section surgeries in the previous days, and their newborns in general beds and cabins.
That was not the end of the shocking revelations.
At least three doctors from the nearby Institute of Child and Mother Health in Dhaka's Matuail -- a government-run specialised healthcare organisation -- were serving the hospital regularly as enlisted consultants, the DGHS officials found after inspecting the hospital documents.
Officials could not identify the surgeon and anaesthesiologist who abandoned the mother and child in the OT.
"Whatever the situation is, we cannot leave a patient before completing the surgery. It is a serious violation of ethics; it is a crime," Mahmudur Rahman said, adding that the matter would be investigated.
Officials arranged necessary medical support for the patients immediately and shifted the mother and her baby to the Institute of Child and Mother Health.
They sent the three others and their babies to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
DGHS officials also sealed off the hospital following the drive.
Prof Ahmedul Kabir, additional director general (administration) of the DGHS, told The Daily Star, "We learnt that the incident was an attempt to create controversy over the ongoing drive. So, I rushed there immediately."
The directorate has asked police to identify the owners of the hospital and ordered the Narayanganj civil surgeon to investigate as early as possible.
Civil Surgeon Mosiur Rahman said no official of the hospital could be found yesterday.
At least 882 unauthorised private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks were closed by the DGHS officials during the nationwide crackdown as of yesterday.
Of those, 167 were in Dhaka division, 229 in Chattogram, 35 in Sylhet, 96 in Mymensingh, 14 in Rangpur, 78 in Rajshahi, 204 in Khulna and 59 in Barishal, according to the DGHS data.
Of the facilities closed in Dhaka division, only 12 were in Dhaka's two city corporation areas.
"Our officials countrywide are being encouraged by the support from the people as well as the media. We faced no obstacle while closing 882 facilities. We will continue it for the next few days," Prof Ahmedul said.
About the registered facilities that are not maintaining the standard operating procedures, he said, "After we complete bringing all healthcare organisations under authorisation, we will concentrate on ensuring standards. That is our next target."
Meanwhile, the DGHS postponed yesterday's press conference on the ongoing drive. It is expected to be held tomorrow with Health Minister Zahid Maleque and DGHS Director General Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam expected to attend.
On Wednesday, the DGHS in a meeting decided to shut down all unregistered healthcare facilities by Saturday afternoon.