6 newborn deaths at Ad-din hospital: Families take bodies without autopsy, police say
Meanwhile, the deaths of the infants, aged between one and two days, at the private hospital prompted the health authorities to launch an investigation
The bodies of six newborns who died at Ad-Din Medical College Hospital in Dhaka's Moghbazar area early today (27 May) were handed over to their families without autopsy after police permission.
Ramna Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Ashiq Iqbal said the families collected the bodies following police approval, reports UNB.
Meanwhile, the deaths of the infants, aged between one and two days, at the private hospital prompted the health authorities to launch an investigation.
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Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr Pravat Chandra Biswas said a high-level probe committee had been formed and asked to submit its report within 72 hours.
The committee will investigate whether there was any negligence in hospital management, shortcomings in treatment, or environmental problems in the room where the newborns were kept, he said.
"The government will take strict action based on the findings," the DGHS chief added.
Earlier in the day, after visiting the hospital, Prof Pravat said preliminary observations suggested a "suffocating environment" in the ward, possibly caused by complications in the air-conditioning system or another technical issue.
"We observed that the AC system was set up in such a way that if it stopped functioning, there was no alternative ventilation arrangement," he told reporters.
According to the DGHS chief, preliminary findings from hospital authorities suggest the newborns were healthy after birth. However, their condition later deteriorated in the post-delivery ward, prompting doctors to shift them to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where they died while undergoing treatment.
Police and members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited the hospital after the incident and collected samples from the scene.
Sheikh Zahidul Islam, deputy commissioner of the Ramna Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said investigators suspect a possible gas leakage in the air-conditioning system or another mechanical fault behind the deaths.
Hospital authorities, however, described the incident as "accidental".
At a press briefing, Prof Dr Nahida Yasmin, director general (Hospitals and Nursing) of the healthcare facility, said there were 11 mothers and six newborns in the ward at the time of the incident.
"This is an air-conditioned ward, and many patients and attendants often complain about excessive cold and ask nurses to switch off the AC," she said.
According to Dr Nahida, two babies suddenly became ill during the night and were taken to the NICU. After doctors examined them around 3am and found them stable, they were returned to the ward.
However, after 6am, nurses and mothers noticed that all six infants had become critically ill.
The infants were rushed again to the neonatal ICU. Two were declared dead on arrival, while the remaining four were put on ventilator support but could not be saved, according to hospital authorities.
Dr Nahida said an internal investigation is underway to determine the actual cause behind the deaths.
In a statement, the hospital authorities said the first baby died at around 6am, and the other five died between 6am and 9am.
Three nurses were on duty during the night, it said.
