When four-year-old Aavan walked into the hospital on his own feet on 28 September, his parents could never have imagined they would be carrying his body home just days later.
Alleging gross medical negligence, flawed treatment protocols, excessive medication and intravenous fluids, an absence of specialist doctors in the intensive care unit, and a crucial delay in issuing medical records, the bereaved family has demanded a fair and neutral investigation into the tragedy.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club on Thursday, Aavan’s father Md Mridul Islam clarified that they were not speaking against the entire medical community or the hospital itself but seeking accountability and truth behind what transpired during their child’s treatment.
From hope to tragedy in the PICU
Aavan was admitted to Universal Medical College Hospital in Mohakhali on 28 September while walking around normally, with his condition giving his family no immediate cause for panic.
However, after he was shifted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), his health began to deteriorate rapidly, culminating in his death while undergoing treatment on 3 October.
Recalling those painful final days, Aavan’s mother, Toma, shared that the situation had initially not appeared alarming to them, mentioning that towards the end, the child had even spoken to family members over a video call.
Dengue treatment despite negative tests
A central area of concern raised by the family involves the diagnostic and treatment approach followed by the hospital.
Mridul stated that multiple tests for dengue had returned negative, with Aavan’s platelet count exceeding two lakh, his white blood cell levels remaining normal, and his body temperature recorded at 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
Despite these clear diagnostic indicators, medical care continued to focus on dengue, leading the family to question which test findings formed the basis for such decisions.
Moreover, Mridul alleged that his son was administered powerful antibiotics and an excessive amount of intravenous (IV) fluids.
A missed transfer, management failures
As Aavan’s condition worsened, Mridul sought to transfer him to another facility, arranging a PICU bed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, with an ICU ambulance arriving right in front of Universal’s PICU.
However, the transfer could not take place because the hospital failed to provide the necessary case summary and medical documents on time.
Mridul lamented that if they had received the summary by the evening of 2 October, they could have taken Aavan to another hospital that very night.
The family also voiced severe dissatisfaction with the care inside the PICU, alleging an inadequate presence of senior or specialist doctors, a lack of coordination, and a failure to form a proper medical board despite the child’s declining state.
Mother Toma recounted that family members themselves frequently had to step in to handle basic equipment, including the oxygen mask and cannula, while also raising serious questions regarding the overall PICU environment.
Rejection of compromise, demands for justice
Following Aavan’s death, attempts were allegedly made to settle the matter through compromise, which the family firmly rejected, stressing that their objective is not to cause personal harm to anyone, but to uncover the exact cause of death.
The press conference also revealed that Mridul’s associate, journalist Ashik Ahmed, was allegedly abducted, beaten, and threatened, preventing him from attending the event.
Rather than quietly accepting their loss, the parents presented a comprehensive set of demands to ensure thorough accountability, calling for an independent inquiry committee under the Ministry of Health and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
They demanded the preservation of Aavan’s complete medical documentation, case summary, hospital CCTV footage, verification of duty rosters, prescription details, medicine and injection bills, laboratory test reports, and PICU nursing records.
They further urged an investigation into the timeline of the transfer attempt, scrutiny of the duties performed by relevant doctors and nurses, and strict administrative and legal measures if negligence or irregularities are established.
Reiterating his emotional appeal, Mridul Islam stated that they simply want to know how their child died and ensure accountability if anyone was negligent.
