Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Sunday clarified that the licence of Ad-din Medical College Hospital in the capital has been suspended, not cancelled, following the deaths of six newborns at the facility.
Speaking during the budget session of the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said Ad-din Hospital provides various healthcare services, including low-cost dialysis, which is commendable. However, he stressed that those responsible must be held accountable if negligence at any institution leads to loss of life.
He said the investigation into the deaths found that there had been an oxygen shortage in the concerned ward. In addition, the air-conditioning system was not functioning, causing carbon dioxide levels in the babies' blood to rise. According to doctors, the newborns died after developing severe respiratory distress.
The minister said he personally visited the hospital the day after the incident and spoke with the attending physicians. Based on their assessment, negligence and oxygen shortage were the primary causes of the deaths. "The government cannot remain silent in the face of such an incident," he said.
He also said changes have been made to the hospital's board of directors in view of the owners' negligence. At the same time, the hospital's operating licence has been suspended and the government is closely monitoring the matter.
Earlier, on June 11, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) announced that it had decided to cancel the hospital's licence following the incident.
