The High Court on Monday sought explanation from three hospitals in the capital about the death of newborn twins after the mother and the babies were refused treatment. Bangladesh Islami Bank Hospital, Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital authorities were asked to explain to the HC in 48 hours why they refused to treat the babies and the mother, who gave birth to the twin babies in a CNG-run three-wheeler on the way to a hospital.
The HC Bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel issued the order on a suo moto (voluntary) move after Abdul Kalam Azad, the father of the babies, brought the bodies of the babies to the court premises and placed the issue before the Bench for necessary order. The Bench also issued a rule asking the hospital authorities to show causes as to why their inaction to admit the mother and the newborn babies and to provide her with treatment should not be declared illegal.
It is definitely not the first time that the authorities of hospitals have acted in an arbitrary and high handed manner. They have a long history of doing so — especially to people who they think will not raise any issues of their bad behaviour because of their lower socio-economic class. In fact, barring a select few people whom they consider to be VVIPs they don’t hesitate to meet out the same treatment to anyone they want to.
Just over three months ago a young woman reported that a gynaecologist stated that she needed a husband to rape her in order for her to get cured of a disease. Multiple women who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) spoke on social media about how doctors told them that they need to marry and have children, disregarding their own life or career goals, to be healthy. Married women reported being shamed for wanting to abort pregnancies.
Such stories of inhuman attitude of some hospital authorities to the patients facing life and death crisis are unbelievable. But the fact is we are all fallen to cruelty of one kind or other from device providers — private or government. Government is indifferent about public sufferings as it has no accountability to the people.
Perhaps nowhere it happens that the people come with dead bodies to court for justice against refusal by hospitals to accept serious patients for treatment. This is a most unusual situation of helplessness of the people in a free country.
We see lack of a sense of responsibility everywhere towards the general public. The country has become for the benefit of VIPs only. Our craven mentality and arbitrariness of the authorities are surely shameful. We do not pass judgement on the authorities of the hospitals involved. That will be the responsibility of their Lordships.
