The government has formed a three-member investigation committee over the deaths of six newborns at Ad-Din Medical College Hospital in the capital’s Moghbazar area.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within the next three days.
Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr. Prabhat Chandra Biswas disclosed the information on Wednesday after visiting the hospital.
Describing the incident as “unexpected” and “abnormal”, Prof Biswas said six newborns receiving treatment at the hospital’s post-delivery ward died early in the morning.
He said officials from the Health Services Division, DGHS administration, hospital authorities and other senior officials visited the ward and found that 11 mothers were staying there at the time.
“Among them, six mothers were staying with their newborn babies aged between one and three days, while the remaining five babies were undergoing treatment at the NICU,” he said.
Prof Biswas said the room appeared to have a suffocating environment, possibly due to air-conditioning complications or other technical issues.
“The AC system was arranged in such a way that if it stopped functioning, there was no alternative ventilation system in the room,” he said.
He added that the six newborns died under such circumstances while receiving treatment at the ward.
The DGHS chief said the investigation committee was formed on the instruction of the Health and Family Welfare Minister to determine whether there had been any negligence in management or treatment procedures and to identify the exact cause of the deaths.
The committee includes a joint secretary from the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, a deputy director-level official from the hospital wing of DGHS and another DGHS official.
According to Prof Biswas, the committee will investigate whether there were any flaws in the treatment system, problems in ward management or environmental issues inside the room where the babies were kept.
The probe body will also examine whether there were any air-conditioning failures or other technical faults linked to the incident.
He said the committee has been instructed to submit its findings within 40 to 72 hours, after which the government will take strict action if negligence or technical failures are found.
“If any negligence in service, management failure or infrastructural and technical defects are identified, appropriate action will be taken against those responsible,” he added.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
