Death in Bogura: Staffer admits removing oxygen mask of patient
Rab yesterday arrested Asadul Islam Mir Dholu, who worked on daily wages at Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, over the death of a boy allegedly due to removal of the oxygen mask by the staffer for not getting a "satisfactory tip".
A Rab team held him from the capital's Abdullahpur early yesterday, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Rab's legal and media wing director, adding that Dholu, 40, fled immediately after the incident on Tuesday night.
During primary interrogation, Dholu admitted that he removed the oxygen mask, Rab officials said at a press briefing.
The victim, Bikash Chandra Biswas, 17, was the son of Bishu Chandra Biswas of Putimari village in Gaibandha's Saghata upazila. Bikash, alongside studying, used to work part-time at a metal workshop at Kachua Bazar to support his family.
Bikash was injured critically after a motorcycle rear-ended his bicycle when he was returning home from work on Tuesday evening.
He was first taken to Saghata Upazila Health Complex and then moved to the Bogura SZMCH.
Addressing the briefing at Rab media centre in the capital's Karwan Bazar, Rab official Al Moin said Dholu first demanded Tk 500 from Bikash's family as "tip" after they reached the hospital.
Later, Dholu agreed on Tk 200. Soon after the victim was taken to the emergency ward, Bikash was administered oxygen and sent to the surgery ward, said the Rab official.
"Dholu then took Bikash to the surgery ward. As there was no bed, the victim was given a bed on the floor. After that, Dholu asked for money from the victim's family. The family then gave him Tk 150, but Dholu demanded more," he said.
Bikash's father Bishu, a blacksmith in Putimari village, earlier said, "I had only Tk 150 in my pocket. I gave that as tip. However, Dholu refused to take it and demanded Tk 200. Later, a man who was with Dholu took the money and put it in Dholu's pocket and tried to convince him."
"But Dholu became angry and removed the oxygen mask from my son's mouth, saying that this oxygen cylinder was taken from the emergency unit. You should manage oxygen from somewhere else," said Bishu.
"Within a few minutes, my son started having breathing problems and became silent. Later, doctors declared him dead," the father added.
Commander Al Moin said following the incident, the hospital security personnel tried to bring the situation under control and Dholu, somehow, managed to fee the spot.
The hospital authorities said Dholu was not a permanent staffer. He was working as a cleaner at the hospital's coronavirus unit on daily wages.
A four-member body has been formed to investigate the incident.
On Wednesday night, the hospital authorities lodged a case against Dholu with Bogura Sadar Police Station for negligence of his duty.
"Our team is taking Dholu from Dhaka's Rab headquarters to Bogura. We will hand him over to Bogura Sadar Police Station where the hospital authorities filed the case against Dholu," said Squadron Leader Shohrub Hossain, company commander of Rab-12, while talking to our district correspondent around 9:00pm yesterday.
Abdul Wadud, deputy director of the hospital, told this correspondent, "We asked the victim family members to contact us for any financial help."
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