Ad-din won't make probe report public, submit to govt

 
Ad-din Medical College authorities have backtracked on a decision to announce the findings of an internal investigation into the deaths of six newborns on May 27.

Though the report was to be released on Sunday afternoon, the decision has been scrapped for "unavoidable reasons", said HR and Company Affairs Director Tariqul Islam Mukul.

"We had decided to hold a press conference on Sunday, but it had to be cancelled due to unavoidable reasons," the hospital spokesman said. "The report will be submitted to the relevant government authorities."

He said a five-member committee, led by Prof Atiqur Rahman, a urologist and adviser to the foundation, had completed its investigation into the deaths of the six newborns and submitted its report to the authorities. Replying to a question, he said they would hand over the report to the health ministry either today or tomorrow. However, he declined to share the findings of the committee.

Tariqul Islam did not provide any information about the contents of the report by the hospital authority's investigation panel.

The 700-bed hospital came under the spotlight after six babies, aged between one and three days, died within a few hours after their conditions deteriorated in the post-operative room early on Wednesday.

A case has been filed at Ramna Police Station over the incident. Police have already questioned several people from the hospital administration in connection with the case.

While the investigation was under way, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain visited the hospital yesterday and found a bread factory on top floor of one of its building attached to the hospital.

After the minister left the hospital, an altercation broke out between the hospital staff and on-duty media personnel over access to the hospital. At one stage, a group of staffs of the hospital chased some journalists from the premises.

The minister said there should not be a bakery factory there and that additional experts would be sent to examine the factory as part of the investigation.

"We will test the stagnant water and examine whether any substance from the bread factory, or any gas that could be beyond the babies' tolerance level, is being emitted. Since we detected an odour inside the room, we will investigate it thoroughly," he told reporter on Friday.