The investigation committee formed to probe the deaths of six newborns at Ad-Din Hospital has found clear evidence of negligence by the hospital authorities, doctors and nurses.
The hospital administration failed to meet the basic requirements for operating a healthcare facility and that negligence by doctors, nurses and the hospital management contributed to the deaths of the newborns, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said while presenting the findings of the probe report at a briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday.
The committee found that the absence of a duty doctor and negligence by nurses and hospital authorities were clearly established, he said.
The government will review the report and decide on the next course of action, with legal measures to be taken under existing laws. A decision is expected by Sunday, said the minister.
Six newborns died at the hospital, located at Moghbazar in the capital, between 6:00am and 9:00am on May 27.
"We have taken the incident very seriously," the minister said, noting that the government had formed the committee immediately after the incident and asked it to complete its investigation within three days.
The probe report was submitted on Thursday.
According to the report, the hospital building was not suitable for healthcare operations. Investigators who inspected Post-Operative Room No. 2 found that prolonged disruption of air-conditioning and inadequate ventilation likely led to reduced oxygen levels and excessive accumulation of carbon dioxide.
The committee interviewed nurses, support staff and the parents of the deceased infants. It found gross negligence and non-cooperation by nurses on duty.
When the newborns' conditions suddenly deteriorated, there was no effective emergency medical response. Nurses failed to respond to calls from parents, did not inform physicians, delayed intervention and failed to take appropriate measures to save the infants, the report said.
The minister said the 900-square-foot room accommodated 11 patients along with newborns, attendants and visitors, bringing the total number of occupants to around 50, far beyond its capacity.
Questioning of hospital administrators revealed further failures to meet basic operational requirements. No physician had been assigned to monitor patients in Post-Operative Ward No. 2, nurses lacked adequate emergency-response training, ventilation was insufficient and overcrowding was not controlled, the report said.
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