Kidney lost in botched-up operation

A kidney of a patient has been dismembered at a private hospital in the city’s Uttara in a botched surgery to remove kidney stones. The doctor concerned, however, termed it as a ‘mere accident.’ The victim is one Babul Sarkar of Gazipur’s Kaliganj Upazila. The surgery was carried out at Uttara Adhunik Medical College and Hospital on November 26. Four days after the surgery, brother-in-law of the victim Md Momen Sarkar lodged a written complaint with Uttara (West) Police Station against the doctor. A complaint was also lodged with the chairman of the hospital. Momen Sarkar told this correspondent that Babul Sarkar was admitted to the hospital late last month under the head of the urology department Prof Md Sabbir Ahmed with critical lower back pain. ‘After investigations he was diagnosed with kidney stones. To remove them, Professor Sabbir told us a laser operation would be carried out which would cost Tk 20 thousand.’ As per doctor’s advice, Babul Sarkar was taken for operation on the morning of November 26. ‘After some time doctor came out to inform my sister (Babul’s wife) that kidney of her husband had been removed.’ Babul’s wife said doctor did not inform them about the need to cut out the kidney before the operation. She was told about it only after the process was completed. She said Babul was not yet informed about the loss of kidney. When contacted doctor Prof Sabbir Ahmed Khan said, ‘It was a mere accident. Moreover, Babul Sarkar’s wife was informed beforehand that during operation his kidney might have to be removed.’ After receiving the complaint, hospital authority hurriedly formed a three-member probe committee comprising three professors of the institution. The committee was initially not even assigned any time frame to submit its report. When contacted, Director of the hospital Md Shajahan Biswas said ‘After getting a written complaint on November 30, the probe committee was formed on December 1. The truth will come out after the probe.’ Momen Sarkar’s elder brother Sahin Sarkar was, however, skeptical about the outcome of the probe conducted by the colleagues of the accused doctor. He wanted the probe to be carried out by specialised doctors from other hospital, according to bdnews24.com.