Three doctors charged with negligence in the death of another physician

A Dhaka court has ordered an investigation into charges against three doctors of negligence leading to the death of another physician.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 20 June 2021, 11:23 AM
Updated : 20 June 2021, 06:42 PM

Aktaruzzaman Mia, a physiotherapist, filed the case with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Sunday over the death of his son Dr Toufiq Enam.   

Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury tasked a senior assistant superintendent of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department with probing the case after recording the plaintiff’s statement, said Hemayet Uddin Khan Hiron, the lawyer for Aktaruzzaman.

The three accused are Dr Abdul Wahab Khan, a laparoscopic surgeon at Islami Bank Central Hospital in Kakrail, Dr Mamun Al Mahtab of Labaid Hospital’s gastroenterology department and Prof Mohammad Ali, a hepatobiliary surgeon at BRB Hospital.

Only Dr Mahtab was available for comment.

Dr Enam, who worked as a medical officer at Evercare Hospital, died while undergoing treatment at BRB Hospital on May 30, according to lawyer Hiron.

Dr Enam visited Dr Khan at the Islami Bank Hospital on May 4 after he fell ill. He was diagnosed with gallbladder stones and Dr Khan discharged him after surgery on May 5.

Dr Khan asked Dr Enam to contact Dr Mahtab at the Labaid Hospital when the patient’s condition deteriorated on May 9.

Dr Mahtab conducted a test called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or ERCP with stenting after assuming that a clip was put at the wrong place during the surgery.

As the patient’s condition deteriorated further and fast, he was sent to Dr Ali at BRB Hospital. Dr Ali admitted Enam to the hospital on May 12 for an urgent operation.

The hospital asked the patient’s relatives for three bags of blood for the surgery on May 30. After the family collected the blood, Dr Ali asked for four more bags of blood.

The relatives altercated with the doctors and nurses of the hospital over the issue at that time.

Enam died the same day while undergoing treatment.

Addressing the allegations, Dr Mahtab said he had been treating Enam for hepatitis B virus for a long time. Following the surgery at the Islami Bank Hospital, he saw symptoms of jaundice in Enam. He later found the clip in Enam's bile duct while conducting further tests.

Dr Mahtab said he recommended surgery to Enam, pointing to the difficulty in removing the clip from the bile duct through ERCP with stenting.

But in order to avoid the high cost of surgery and the risk of liver ailments, Enam requested him to perform the ERCP. He then conducted the procedure with Dr Tawfiq's written consent.

According to him, Enam's wife, also a physician, was present during the ERCP and he also explained to her why it was not possible to place a stent in the stricture.

He once again recommended surgery but the next day, Enam took leave and went to BRB Hospital.

A couple of weeks later, Enam's father called to say that his son had died at the BRB hospital while undergoing an operation, Dr Mahtab said.