Hospital staffer dies after setting himself on fire in capital

A physically challenged staffer, who set himself on fire at Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute, died at the hospital yesterday morning.

Azizul Islam Milon (30), an employee at the information centre of the hospital, passed away around 8am, said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the burn institute.

He suffered 95 percent burn injuries, said Dr Sen.

Milon set himself on fire inside a toilet of the hospital around 1am yesterday, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police outpost.

His co-workers and hospital doctors said Milon was appointed as an outsourced employee around two years back.

He was going through some emotional distress as he was burdened with debts, said Mir Jahirul Islam, a ward master of the hospital, adding that Milon borrowed Tk 70,000 from a private bank last month.

Syedunnesa Akhi, elder sister of the deceased, said Milon was crippled by polio when he was around 2 years old. She said their parents passed away when Milon was young and he was  brought up by their cousin.

"Milon struggled a lot, passed the SSC exams despite being physically challenged," she said. They lost touch after having a fallout around three years back, she added.

The body was kept at Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.