Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Wednesday said he was not satisfied with the explanation submitted by Ad-Din Medical College Hospital over the deaths of six newborns at its Moghbazar facility, adding that the government would decide its next course of action after a meeting on the matter.
Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat, the minister said the hospital authority’s response contained more irrelevant statements than necessary information.
“Ad-Din Hospital has submitted its reply and I have read it. They wrote many stories and narratives beyond the required information, which are not acceptable to us,” Sakhawat Husain said.
The minister said the hospital submitted a four-to-five-page explanation, but described it as a vague response that failed to provide the information sought by the authorities.
“They wrote many unnecessary things instead of providing the required information. I am not satisfied with the reply submitted by Ad-Din Hospital,” he said.
Sakhawat Husain said the government would review the matter and determine the next steps after discussions. He added that the government’s position would be announced following the meeting.
The six newborns died within a few hours of each other in the hospital’s post-operative ward in the early hours of 27 May.
Following the incident, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) formed a three-member high-level investigation committee. The committee’s report identified multiple shortcomings in hospital management, environmental conditions and negligence by the doctors and nurses responsible for the ward.
According to the report, the ward was not suitable for newborns or post-operative patients. It lacked adequate light and ventilation, while the air-conditioning system was insufficient and operated irregularly.
The investigation also found that no doctor was present in the ward at the time of the incident and that the newborns did not receive timely medical treatment despite their deteriorating condition.
The report stated that the newborns were healthy after birth and did not require specialised treatment or incubator support due to post-delivery complications. However, it found shortcomings in providing appropriate treatment and emergency care after their sudden deterioration.
The committee also pointed to structural limitations within the hospital, inadequate supervision and administrative failures.
On 4 June, the DGHS issued a show-cause notice to Ad-Din Hospital through a letter signed by Abu Hossain Md Moinul Ahsan, director of Hospitals and Clinics at the health directorate.
The explanation by Ad-Din Medical College Hospital was submitted in response to the show-cause notice issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) over the deaths of the six newborns.
