35 patients die at SBMCH during Eid vacation

At least 35 patients reportedly died at Barisal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital, the biggest and lone specialised hospital in the region, during the Eid holidays.

However, hospital authourities claimed that the number of deaths during holidays were less than regular period.

Of the 35 dead patients, 8 died from road accidents, 4 neonatals died from delivery complications, 1 died after being injured in a clash, 22 died from different diseases,” Abul Kalam, ward master of the hospital told the Dhaka Tribune.

More than 190 patients, including 42 on 27 July, 38 on 28 July, 52 on 29 July and 58 on 30 July were admitted at the indoor units in the hospital and many of them released after receiving treatment,” said Dr Asim Saha and Dr Ajoy Datta, emergency medical officers of the hospital.

Only 30 out of 180 intern doctors, the main working forces of the hospital, 34 out of 164 registers, assistant registers, emergency, indoor and outdoor medical officers and 137 out of 404 staff nurses were assigned to deliver medical services during Eid vacation at Barisal SBMCH.

”We cannot deny the right to leave on socio-religious festival vacation. Normally, on an average 1,300 to 1,500 patients receive indoor treatments at this hospital and 13 to 15 patients die during the normal period on a daily average,” said Dr Kamrul Islam Selim, director of SBMCH.

However, many patients claimed that adiquate number of doctors or medical staffs were not found during the vacations.

Afzal Hossain, one of the admitted patients, alleged that no specialist doctors were available to attend patients from the first to the last day of the Eid vacations.