Dhaka – The High Court yesterday summoned the family planning officer and a senior staff nurse of Sherpur Health Complex in Bogra over refusing service and driving away an expecting woman, causing her to give birth under a tree resulting in death of the newborn.
It asked the residential doctor and the nurse of the health complex to appear before it on December 14 to explain their role regarding the incident.It also directed the deputy commissioner and civil surgeon of Bogra to investigate the incident of denying medical service to an expecting woman and the death of her newborn baby.
The HC bench asked them to submit the probe report before it by December 14.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government and the health complex authorities to explain why legal actions should not be taken against those responsible for the incident took place on November 29.
The health secretary, Bogra deputy commissioner, civil surgeon, superintendent of police, Sherpur Upazila administration chief (UNO) and the hospital’s resident doctor have been told to come up with explanations.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the order and the rule on the suo moto move following a report published in different newspapers about the incident.
A Supreme Court lawyer, Shamim Sordar, placed the report before the High Court bench seeking necessary order.
On Thursday, a Bengali daily ran a report saying Mazeda Begum, who was on labour, was taken to the Sherpur Upazila Health Complex around 11pm. She was admitted to the hospital.
But Senior Staff Nurse Shushma Rani advised them to go to the nearby Modern Clinic and went to sleep, says the report.
Around 12:45am, the hospital’s staffer Parvin Bibi forced them to leave, according to the news report.
Begum gave birth to a child near the hospital’s entrance under the open sky. A night guard and a passerby then went inside the hospital to get the staff.
Resident physician Pial and Nurse Shushma later declared the new born dead. – Staff Reporter
