United Hospital accused of 'negligence' in complaint over Gulf Air pilot's death

A Dhaka court orders the Police Bureau of Investigation to investigate the complaint filed by the pilot's sister

A US national has filed a complaint with a Dhaka court over the death of her brother, a Gulf Air pilot, at United Hospital.

Tala Elhendi Josephano, sister of the 63-year-old Yousef Hassan Al Hindi, accused Prof Md Omar Faruk, chief consultant of the hospital's Emergency Medicine Department, and around a dozen other hospital staff of criminal negligence leading to the pilot's death.

After a hearing on Tuesday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Arfatul Rakib ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the complaint and submit a report, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Sabbir Ahmmed.

Yousef Al Hindi was a dual national of the US and Jordan. He was scheduled to fly out of Dhaka on the morning of Dec 14, but suddenly collapsed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

He subsequently received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for five minutes, but his blood pressure continued to drop. He was then taken to United Hospital and died there after a few hours.

Tala Elhendi is a British government official.

One and a half months after her brother’s death on Jan 30, she alleged that the hospital did 'not provide proper treatment and correct information to the patient’s family’.

Labelling the allegations ‘false' and 'fabricated’, the hospital authorities said they "tried their best" to save Al Hindi’s life.

On Feb 1, Elhendi said she wanted to take legal action over the matter, but the Gulshan Police Station was unwilling to register her case.

Chief of Gulshan Police Station Farman Ali and Gulshan Zone Assistant Police Commissioner Newton Das instead suggested that she file a complaint in court as the issue was ‘quite serious’, said Elhendi.

THE COMPLAINT

On Jan 30, Elhendi detailed her complaint against United Hospital at a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.

During his treatment in the hospital, Al Hindi was sedated and then transferred to the CCM unit at 5:45 am, according to her. At least one cardiologist was needed to provide immediate medical attention for such a high-risk patient.

“But the incompetent doctors proved to be negligent. It was the cardiac care unit, but no cardiologist was in attendance. My brother had a second cardiac arrest at 7 am and a third one 20 minutes later. He had three cardiac arrests in two hours," she said.

"The special cardiac unit of a renowned hospital in Dhaka failed to contact any cardiologist, which was nothing but sheer negligence on the CCM staff's part. After the third cardiac arrest, he was left without treatment for two hours and 15 minutes, meaning, he was deprived of proper treatment.”

Elhindi said her brother suffered a final cardiac arrest at 11:15 am. He was given CPR for 45 minutes and died just after a TPM (temporary pacemaker) was installed.

She added that the hospital authorities did not provide her with proper information about Al Hindi’s treatment.