Pregnant woman dies at FMCH

Allegation of negligence was raised after a two and a half-month pregnant woman died at Faridpur Medical College Hospital (FMCH) yesterday morning.

Relatives of the woman, Ripa Das, 32, an assistant teacher at Ramkol Government Primary School in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari, alleged that she died around 8:30am due to negligence of the hospital's doctors and staffers.

Ripa was wife of Mithun Sarkar, from Ramkol village in Rajbari's Pangsha upazila, and daughter of Anil Kumar Das, from Tapakhola area in Faridpur town.

Ripa's brother-in-law Dheeraj Kumar said after they admitted her to the hospital around 2:00pm on Sunday with excessive bleeding, the doctors there said her baby needed to be aborted. 

"Ripa was taken inside the operation theatre around 7:00pm on Sunday. Kaniz Fatema, a gynaecologist, conducted the operation there."

Shortly after Ripa was brought out of the post-operative room around 7:00am yesterday, she started to have breathing problems. The intern doctors and nurses did not act promptly although her relatives repeatedly requested them to give her oxygen urgently, Dheeraj said.   

"They took a long time to bring in an oxygen cylinder. But it was too late -- Ripa had died before she was given the oxygen," he added.

Contacted, FMCH Superintendent Saifur Rahman said, "Kaniz Fatema [the gynaecologist] informed me that the patient was in good condition after the operation. Her condition deteriorated suddenly and she died on Monday morning. I don't know whether the patient died due to a lack of oxygen. If anyone files a written complaint, we will investigate the matter."

Ripa's in-law Dheeraj yesterday said they could not file any complaint with the hospital authorities as they took the body in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari for completing cremation and other funeral proceedings.

Ripa's family would file a formal complaint with the FMCH authorities after all the funeral formalities are over, he also said.