DU student dies after hospitals ‘denied treatment’

A Dhaka University student, who had been suffering from cancer, died yesterday after several hospital authorities allegedly denied him treatment in fear that he had coronavirus.

Suman Chakma, a student of Institute of Education and Reaserach, breathed his last at his village home in Khagrachhari at 8:30pm, said his father Supen Chakma.

 "Suman was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018 and took treatment at hospitals of India and Bangladesh. He even started attending class this year after he started to feel well," Supen said.

 "Suman came home after the university vacated it's dorms in March. Soon afterwards he fell ill, so we took him to Dhaka," he added. They went to several hospitals but every one of them to admit him.

  "After that we brought him back home and was giving homeopathic medicine that we collected from Chattogram. Stock of that medicine also finished and we couldn't source more, as vehicular movement was suspended. We lost him due to lack of proper treatment and medicine," said Supen. 

Suman had posted about his predicament on Facebook on March 26. "I have not been infected with coronavirus but this situation tells I'd have to die because of the virus," his status read.