Investigation opens after pregnant woman is driven out of hospital, her child killed

The authorities have formed a committee to investigate the incident in which a pregnant woman was forced from a hospital in Bogra, leading her to give birth out in the open to a child that soon died on a cold night.

Bogra Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 Dec 2016, 09:14 PM
Updated : 1 Dec 2016, 09:14 PM

The three-member committee headed by the district's Deputy Civil Surgeon ATM Nuruzzaman will have to submit the report within a week, Civil Surgeon Ordhendu Roy told bdnews24.com on Thursday.

The other members of the committee are Dupchanchia Health Complex’s Dr Abdul Wadud and Sariakandi Health Complex’s Dr Hasina Akter.

The committee has been formed following the High Court's order.

The court, earlier in the day, also asked Sherpur's Upazila Family Planning Officer Mokhlesur Rahman and the hospital's Senior Staff Nurse Shushma Rani to appear on Dec 14 to explain their roles in the incident.

In a suo moto rule it asked why legal actions should not be taken against those responsible.

The health secretary, Bogra deputy commissioner, civil surgeon, superintendent of police, Sherpur Upazila administration chief (UNO) and the hospital's resident doctor have been told to come up with explanations.

A Bangla daily report says Mazeda Begum, who was on labour, was taken to Sherpur Upazila Health Complex on Tuesday night and admitted there.

But Senior Staff Nurse Shushma Rani advised them to go to the nearby Modern Clinic and went to sleep, says the report.

The hospital's staffer Parvin Bibi forced them to leave the facility after midnight, according to the news report.

After a while, Begum gave birth to a child near the hospital's entrance under the open sky. A night guard and a passerby then went inside the hospital to get the staff to attend to the mother and child.

Resident physician 'Pial' and Nurse Shushma later declared the newborn dead.