Staff Reporter:
Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul on Saturday said the investigation committee looking into the deaths of six newborns at Ad-Din Hospital has received three more days to complete its work, pushing the submission of the full report to 3 June.
He made the remarks on Saturday at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in Mohakhali, Dhaka.
“We cannot submit the report today. We have given the committee another three days, and it will submit the report on 3 June,” he said.
The minister explained that investigators have not yet been able to record statements from the bereaved mothers. He said the committee would include their testimonies in the final report before submitting its findings.
“We will take strict action based on the report. We will not spare anyone if negligence or wrongdoing emerges,” he added.
Earlier, on Wednesday night, authorities handed over the bodies of the six newborns to their families after relatives requested that doctors not conduct post-mortem examinations.
One of the affected families later filed an unnatural death case with Ramna Police Station.
Hospital sources said 11 mothers and six newborns stayed in a post-operative ward at the time of the incident.
According to the sources, one mother complained of feeling cold on the night of 26 May and requested nurses to switch off the air-conditioning system. Hospital staff reportedly kept the air-conditioners off for about an hour.
Later, staff turned the system back on after others complained about the heat. Shortly afterwards, two newborns fell ill and medical personnel transferred them to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The remaining newborns also developed complications one after another, and all six died the following morning.
The investigation committee continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
