National heart Institute director, 10 others sued over patient death; court orders probe

A Dhaka court has ordered an investigation and the submission of a report into a case filed against 11 individuals, including Prof Dr Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), over the alleged killing of a patient named Jinnat Ali during treatment.

The victim's son Abu Hurayra filed the case application this morning (14 May), in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Ismail.

During the session, the court recorded the plaintiff's statement and kept the order pending.

Later in the afternoon, the court took the case into cognisance and directed the officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station to investigate the matter and submit a report by 16 June, the plaintiff's lawyer Advocate Moksedul Hasan Mondal confirmed the development. 

The other accused in the case are Hridoy General Hospital Executive Director Dr SMF Nirab Hossain, Dr Sirajul, NICVD security guard Saidur, ward boys Shahid, Ashiq, Samiul and Mashiur Rahman Lablu, Hridoy General Hospital manager, assistant manager and receptionist Junayed.

According to the plaintiff's first information report (FIR), when the victim fell ill, he was initially taken to Manikganj General Hospital. Following treatment there, the victim was referred to the NICVD in Dhaka.

 On 26 February, the plaintiff's father was admitted to the CCU of the institute.

The complaint alleges that a ward boy named Shahid took the victim to the emergency department for tests and subsequently told the plaintiff, "We have conducted examinations and your father has no heart problems; the issue is with his head. Your father needs to be moved to an ICU immediately. We do not have an ICU available here, and at this moment, no hospital in Dhaka has a vacant ICU bed. There is an ICU vacancy at the private Hridoy General Hospital. Admit him there, I will make the arrangements. After two days of treatment there, he will be brought back to the institute."

The FIR further states that the plaintiff agreed to the transfer based on the defendants' advice. However, when the defendants demanded a sum of money exceeding the actual medical bills, the plaintiff sought to remove the victim from the hospital. At this point, the defendants reportedly refused to release the victim without the payment.

Despite the plaintiff's repeated pleas, he was allegedly detained and assaulted, and the victim's treatment was discontinued. Eventually, the plaintiff paid the demanded amount by borrowing money from others. When the father was finally readmitted to the CCU of the institute, the duty doctors, nurses, and ward staff all remarked that the patient had not received proper medical care. The victim subsequently passed away at 3:20pm that afternoon.

The complaint also mentions that when the plaintiff attempted to lodge a formal protest against the accused at the institute on 28 February, he was assaulted and forcibly removed from the hospital premises.