6 Dhaka hospitals directed to treat Ad-Din patients

The Directorate General of Health Services has issued special instructions to six hospitals in the capital to ensure proper treatment of patients referred from Ad-Din Women's Medical College Hospital after the license of the hospital was cancelled following the unnatural deaths of six newborns.

The directive, signed by the director of the department (hospitals and clinics) Dr. Abu Hossain Md. Mainul Ahsan, includes Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Shahid Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital and Bangladesh Children's Hospital and Institute on Friday (June 12).

Six newborns died one after another in the post-delivery ward of Ad-Din Hospital in Moghbazar on the morning of May 27. The investigation committee of the Health Ministry identified the presence of excess people, prolonged shutdown of air conditioning and inadequate ventilation as possible causes of death. The report found evidence of negligence by the hospital authorities.

The Health Minister released the findings of the investigation committee and the hospital was issued a show cause notice on June 4. Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said that the hospital's response was not satisfactory on June 9. Two days later, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services announced the cancellation of the license on Thursday. During the announcement, he said that after the cancellation of the license, the hospital will no longer be able to provide medical services. Therefore, the patients undergoing treatment should be transferred elsewhere as soon as possible.

The hospital authority's lawyer Shishir Monir said that each family will be given Tk 8 million in compensation and Tk 1 million has been paid in advance. The Health Minister said that the government will appoint expert lawyers to ensure proper legal action in the incident.