Death of Pneumonia Patient: ICU, HDU shut down at pvt hospital in Ctg
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU) of a private hospital in the port city has been closed down, after a patient died from pneumonia there three days back, said police and hospital authorities.
Doctors and nurses who attended the patient were asked to be home quarantined as precautionary measure after the incident.
The incident took place on Friday at Royal Hospital Private Ltd in port city's GEC area, but the incident came to light after police visited the hospital on Sunday night.
The deceased, Bibi Morium (34), was admitted at the hospital with breathing difficulties on Mach 19, said hospital sources.
Chairman of the hospital Dr Farid Ahmed told The Daily Star, "The woman had breathing problems and cough, and she was undergoing treatment at the ICU of the hospital."
"According to lab reports, she died from severe pneumonia. We've sent doctors and nurses who attended her at ICU on leave for home quarantine, and closed the ICU for 30 hours," said Dr Farid Ahmed.
Matiur Rahman, executive director of the hospital, told this newspaper, "As precautionary steps, we shut the ICU and HDU of the hospital after her death."
"After the incident, doctors and nurses were panicked, and demanded Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to continue work at the hospital, but we are struggling to provide them the equipment," he added.
Hospital and police sources said the woman was a resident of Korbaniganj area under Kotwali Police Station, and her symptoms were similar to that of novel coronavirus. However, she could not undergo any Covid-19 detection test.
After the death, intelligence personnel, Special Branch (SB) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) visited the hospital and talked to doctors and officials on Sunday night.
Ansar Ali, husband of Bibi Morium, told The Daily Star, "My wife had been suffering from breathing difficulties and cough for a long time. When I rushed her to the hospital, doctors at first refused to admit her over coronavirus threat."
"Later on, seeing her prescription and medical history, they agreed to admit her around four hours later," he added.
Deputy Commissioner (SB) Abdul Warish of CMP told this newspaper, "After the incident, we visited the hospital. Nurses, doctor and family members of the deceased have been asked to be in home quarantine."
"We are also finding out who washed the body before burial and performed namaz-e-Janaza of the woman." He added.
Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said it is not possible to say whether she was infected with coronavirus or not, but she died of pneumonia.
Since the deadly Covid-19 cases started being reported in Bangladesh, no case has been found yet in Chattogram, according to the administration.