Insensitive
With flagrant disregard for newborns who require constant intensive care, some staff of a city hospital have delayed an installation work at the NICU for hours allegedly to extort a hospital contractor.
The authorities of the Bangladesh National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in the city wanted to have oxygen pipelines installed at the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit so that babies with critical conditions could be provided oxygen through incubators instead of cylinders.
The installation work, which was awarded to Spectra International Ltd, was supposed to begin on Tuesday. Six children, who were admitted to the NICU, were moved to the general ward unit so that the work could be done properly.
But when the supervisor and workers of the firm reached the hospital with necessary equipment and materials on Tuesday, they were prevented by some hospital staff from entering the unit, alleged Mohammad Mostaq, supervisor of the firm.
Seeking anonymity, a firm official and a number of hospital staff said two to three staff of the institute demanded money from the firm officials. As the engineer and supervisor refused to give them the money, the staff prevented them from entering the institute.
“Finding no other way, we left the hospital keeping the pipes on the ground floor of the institute and brought back other costly items to our office at Basila,” Mostaq told The Daily Star.
Fearing consequences, Mostaq refused to name those who prevented them from installing the pipes.
“We could have completed the work within a few hours if we were allowed to start work Tuesday night,” he said.
Being informed, Prof STM Abu Azam, director of the institute, yesterday visited the NICU with the firm officials and instructed them to start work immediately.
He told this correspondent that a vested quarter of the institute were out to get undue benefits.
“You are worse than beasts. How could you prevent those men from working inside the NICU?” Azam yelled at the hospital staffs.
“What will I say to the children's guardians if any one of them dies due to this?” he asked.
Azam also said he would enquire into the matter and take stern actions against the culprits.
Finally, the work started around 3:00pm yesterday.
Azam said the six children moved from the NICU have been given proper treatment at general beds. “In case of emergency, we'll provide them ICU facilities through alternative ways.”
The babies would be sent back to the NICU as soon as the installation work was done, he said.
Anwar Hossain Joy, father of 19-days-old boy who was moved to the general ward from the NICU, told this correspondent that they are worried about their baby.
“Cockroaches, bugs and other insects are moving around the bed. We are worried about our baby's fate,” Anwar said.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim inaugurated the six-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in August this year.
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