Health official faults misuse of post-operative ward
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The post-operative ward at Ad-Din Hospital in Dhaka, where six newborns died earlier this week, lacked adequate ventilation and was unsuitable for its intended medical purpose, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Professor Md. Zahid Rayhan, Additional Director General (Administration) of the DGHS, told reporters on Friday that the facility’s environment was essentially “suffocating.” He noted that investigators found no ventilation system in the ward, which relied entirely on air conditioning. He stated that even in the absence of a health crisis, the confined nature of the room meant that a simple failure of the cooling system could create an environment ill-suited for post-operative recovery.
The six infants, aged between one and three days, died Wednesday morning after being admitted to the ward following their deliveries. The sudden nature of the fatalities—occurring within the same facility—has prompted a formal inquiry by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which has formed a three-member committee to determine the exact cause of death.
While the hospital’s post-operative ward had been operational for years without previously reporting such an incident, officials maintain that the scale of the loss is highly abnormal. Authorities have refrained from assigning definitive blame while the investigation is ongoing, citing the need for an impartial and comprehensive report. The findings of the inquiry are expected to be released on Saturday.
Legal action has already been initiated in response to the deaths. Following a complaint filed by a parent, Habibur Rahman, the Ramna police station registered a case on Thursday against the hospital authorities. The lawsuit alleges that the deaths were caused by negligence on the part of the medical facility.
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