Dhaka, March 5 (bdnews24.com) – The late film actor Manna's wife Sheli Quader Wednesday blamed a city hospital for her husband's death, but hospital authorities rejected the charges of negligence of duty in medical treatment.
Updates with details on United Hospital's press conference.
"Manna died prematurely because of the negligence of United Hospital," Sheli said in a news briefing at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.
Sheli said their only son lost his father, the country's film industry lost a bright star, and the hospital authority must take the responsibility.
She said there was no specialist doctor in the hospital to treat Manna after he was rushed there with chest pains on Feb 17.
The late actor's wife said she wrote a letter to chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed with an appeal to "punish those responsible".
"If the people responsible are punished it will be a landmark case," she said.
Sheli said a previous statement of the hospital authorities that it did not receive an immediate decision from Manna's family for his treatment was false.
"In fact, the hospital lacked a sense of responsibility and morality to save a vulnerable patient," she said. "They are now trying to suppress their failure."
In initial reactions, Shejuti Zaman, an official of United Hospital, said Sheli's allegations were baseless.
Shejuti said cardiology specialist Dr Zahiruddin Mahmud Ilyas was present when Manna was rushed to the hospital.
Manna's son Siam Imtemas, brother Prince Talukder Panna and other family members also attended the press conference.
Later in the day, United Hospital authorities also held a press conference to defend themselves. Denying Sheli Quader's allegations, Dr Abu Md Shafiq read out a written statement to reporters at United Hospital in Gulshan.
The statement says: "Manna got admitted to United Hospital at 5.55am on Feb 17 with chest pains.
"After he came here an ECG was carried out on an emergency basis. From the ECG report, doctors confirmed that he had a heart attack. He was given other emergency medicare and admitted to the coronary care unit at 6.30am."
Doctors briefed Manna's brother on two methods—primary coronary intervention and injection streptokinase—of breaking and dissolving blood clots that blocked the arteries of the patient, according to the statement.
"Manna's brother was informed about the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods."
United Hospital said Manna's brother Panna had settled for injection streptokinase, which was less effective. "And (Manna's) chest pains set in again," the statement said.
Panna was alerted and asked to give "permission" for primary coronary intervention, but he made a delay in making a decision, United Hospital claimed in the statement.
The hospital's chief cardiac surgeon Dr Jahangir Kabir, chief cardiac consultant Dr Mominuzzaman and cardiac consultant Dr Fatema Begum also spoke.
Dr Jahiruddin M Ilyas who was on duty when Manna had been admitted said: "When I asked Manna's brother Panna to choose a treatment method, he said he could not say anything about this."
Ilyas quoted Manna's brother as saying: "If anything bad happens the family will blame me. Manna's wife is abroad. A decision will be made after she returns."
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