UNB, Chattogram :
She took her newborn baby girl to a private hospital in the city for treatment. After two days of treatment, the hospital authorities handed over the body of a baby, saying her daughter died of excessive bleeding. They also suggested the family not see her face, saying it got disfigured.
But the things got a twist while giving funeral bath to the dead body. It got exposed then that it was not the body of a baby girl but of a baby boy. The fact was that the baby girl taken to the clinic did not die, but it was stolen.
As the entire episode got exposed, the hospital authorities returned the newborn alive to the family when the police came up and intervened.
Roksana Akhter, 21, wife of expatriate Mohiuddin of Begumganj in Noakhali, gave birth to a baby girl on April 12 through normal delivery. As some complications arose after the birth, she took her to a local hospital where doctors after three days of treatment referred the girl to Chattogram for better treatment. The family then took the baby to Chattogram and saw a child specialist who suggested admitting her to Child Care Hospital in Panchlaish area.
After her admission to the hospital on April 15 noon, doctors kept the baby at Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
However, after two days on Tuesday, the hospital authorities claimed that the baby girl died due to excessive bleeding and made a bill of Tk 14,000.
Hospital manager Saikat Hossain suggested that the family bury the baby’s body in two hours and not see the face as it got distorted due to excessive blooding.
The family took the body to the village home for burial. However, while giving bath to the corpse, they discovered that the body they were handed over was of a baby boy.
Later, they went to Panchlaish Police Station seeking redress. Although the police station initially refused to take cognisance of the matter, they finally recorded a complaint.
Around 4 am on Wednesday, the hospital authorities confessed that the baby girl was alive and returned it to the family.
Newborn’s uncle Alamgir said, “Although we got back out child, we’re in doubt whether she is physically fit. Those who can exchange a baby with a dead one, they can do anything.”
He also alleged that they wanted to file a case against the hospital authorities but police refused to record it.
Meanwhile, hospital manager Saikat Hossain said it was a misunderstanding which was later sorted out.
Bangladesh Human Rights Commission’s Chattogram unit President Aminul Haque Babu described the incident as a serious crime. “Those involved in the incident must be brought to justice.”
