Staff Reporter :
A ward master of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital demanded Tk 20,000 from the relatives of a dead patient on Thursday. Ward Master Abdul Gafur reportedly wanted the money before delivery of the body.
The deceased’s son-in law-Jalal Hossain told these to the journalists at the DMCH.
He said, the ward master repeatedly said that the relatives would not get the dead body without paying the amount.
They said, deceased Muslim Uddin’s wife 55 years old Josna Khatun from Nababganj, Dhaka, was suffering from kidney diseases for long.
After treatment in different hospitals for last three years, on Thursday 11: am, she was brought to DMCH outdoor for treatment.
The doctors sent her to the emergency department where she was declared dead. In the death certificate, the doctor wrote, “Brought death. The cause of death will be ascertained after post mortem.”
In another foot note , he marked, it is a Police case’. Then the relatives tried to register the name of the deceased in the morgue book for post mortem procedure.
But Abdul Gafur told them that he might help them to get the body without suffering through a ‘contract’.
“Then we told him (Ward Master), being poor, it was impossible to go into contract with you,” Jalal Hossain said. But the Ward Master threatened them saying, “Don’t try to dodge us. Without giving such amount of money you would not be able to get the body from the hospital.”
In this situation, the relatives firstly tried to manage him giving Tk one thousand saying they were unable to give more. Finally they managed to collect Tk five thousand from other relatives.
But the Ward Master insisted on payment of Tk 20,000 in exchange of the corpse. In these circumstances, a group of journalists including a private Television Channel noticed the matter and asked the ward master that why he demanding the money.
The DMCH official then totally refused the matter saying he had not demanded any money and handed over the death certificate of Josna Khatun from his desk to the relatives of the deceased.
He also showed the way how they could release their relative’s body out. When contacted, Brigadier General Md Nazmul Haque said, “As per rule, the hospital officials used to write ‘police case’ in the death certificate if any patient is brought dead.”
Replying to a query, he said, “If any ward master demands money for the dead body, the victims should submit allegation to me. Then I will take action.”
Meanwhile, the relatives of the deceased were able to take the body afternoon.
Jalal Hossain said while leaving the hospital, “We repeatedly requested him to give the body taking Tk five thousand, but he was strict on demanding the full amount. But seeing the journalists, he rejected the charge.”
