Reza Mahmud :
The country’s overwhelmed hospitals are turning critically ill patients away, leaving anguished relatives to watch their loved ones die.
Two families in Dhaka alleged that they did not receive emergency treatment after visiting several hospitals with their two patients. Later, both of them died.
In both cases, no one was contaminated with Covid-19, but only for suspicion, the hospitals denied their duty to get medical treatment there.
In a case, family of AKM Emdadul Haque, former Deputy Registrar of Dhaka University, witnessed cruelty of medical professionals when they went for his admission in several hospitals.
Afroza Hossain, daughter of Emdadul Haque said they carried her father to a private hospital in Shyamoli in the capital with his breathing problem at a night recently.
The hospital officials refused him admission. They then took him to a nearby hospital, but after listining to his breathing problem the hospital officials said there was no empty bed.
Then the helpless family members run with the patients to a Moghbazar hospital. The authority wanted Corona certificate, but they also refused to admit him even after getting the Corona negetive report.
In these circumstances, they finally rushed to Dhaka Medical College hospital at dead of night and got him admitted.
At 7:00am when the patient got his first medicine, was taken to a cabin and underwent ECG and then died.
Afroza Hossain said that his father was given after about 36 hours struggle in several hospitals.
Similarly, family members of retired BGB official Abdul Bari also faced untold sufferings while he felt severe chest pain.
Mithun Zaman, son of Abdul Bari said at first they brought his father to a government hospital in Shyamoli in the capital.
The hospital employees refused to admit him suspecting him a Covid-19 patient as they found his oxygen saturation poor.
Then they suggested them to go to Kurmitola or Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Family members then took him to Kurmitola General Hospital, but the authority said, there is no bed there and asked them to go to DMCH.
But they brought him to Anwar Khan Hospital but failed to get a bed there. Then they tried and failed also at a Panthapath hospital as he was suspected as Covid patient and said they have no Corona unit bed.
Then they brought him to Greenlife Hospital and admitted in ICU bed finally but by that time the patient was in hopeless condition.
He witnessed a cardiac arrest and breathed his last within hours.
Mithun said after his father’s death, they got a SMS on the mobile phone read he was ‘Covid negative’.
It is surprising and painfull to the family that medical staffs from several hospitals refused him to get admitted only suspecting and fearing of Covid-19.
Authority and human health experts said there is no second option to treatment to any patient.
When contacted, Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University told The New Nation on Saturday, “Every patient has a right to get medical treatment in hospitals. If any hospital refused to admit and deny treatment to any citizen those have not a right to open the health service facility any more.”
“If any hospital refuses to admit patients, a case should be filed against the guilty. The government should bring those hospitals under tougher judicial actions to give legal punishment,” Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam said.
Besides, the experts said ‘Triad’ method is very important to implement in every hospital to combat such a pandemic.
Explaining ‘Triad’ method, Professor Dr. Muzaherul Huq, former Advisor of World Health Organisation (WHO) told The New Nation, “Firstly the hospitals have to admit serious and Covid suspected patients under observation in isolated cabin. Then they have to send them undergo Covid-19 test.”
“If the test reports is found positive, the patients have the right to go to any Covid-19 dedicated hospital.”
“Checking transmission record, the relatives who contacted with the patients also have to be sent on quarrintine,” he suggested.
Professor Muzaherul Huq said there is no chance for any hospital or clinic in private or public one to refuse medical services to any patinet.
He said firstly during the Covid-19 started transmission in the country the hospital employees were in fear of being attacked.
But nowadays the hospitals have become experienced enough to tackle patients with symptoms of Covid-19. So, they should not refuse patients to get them admitted.
The expert asked the government to take stern action and bring all government and private hospitals under strong servaillance.
