‘Treatment denied’: HC seeks experts’ opinion over deaths of newborn twins

The High Court today sought expert opinions from four amice curiae (friends of court) on the alleged refusal of three hospitals in Dhaka to provide treatment to newborn twins and their death on November 2.

The HC also sought their opinion on the explanations given by the hospitals over the issue.

The amice curiae are: Supreme Court lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Manzill Murshid and Dr Shahdeen Malik, and the chief child specialist of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel asked them to place their expert opinions on this issue before the court on January 18 next year.

Read more: Treatment Denied: Father takes twins' bodies to High Court, seeks justice

The bench passed the order after the lawyers concerned of three hospitals--Bangladesh Islami Bank Hospital, Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) -- submitted their explanations to the court about their roles regarding treatment of the newborn twins.

Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik, who went through the explanations submitted to the HC on behalf of the three hospitals, told The Daily Star that Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Dr Syed Shafi Ahmed, Deputy Director Dr Prabir Kumar Sarker and the hospital's peon Md Shamsul Haque have made contradictory statements in their explanations.

Director Dr Syed Shafi Ahmed said he did not know whether Abdul Kalam Azad, an MLSS of the Supreme Court, went to his hospital with the newborn twins on November 2.

Deputy Director Dr Prabir Kumar Sarker said he had a conversation with Abdul Kalam Azad about treatment of his twins, but he did not tell him that he brought the babies to the hospital at that time.

Dr Prabir Kumar Sarker also told Abdul Kalam Azad that he will have to pay extra for admitting the babies to NICU of the hospital (Dhaka Shishu Hospital) and their treatment.

But peon Shamsul Haque, in his statement, said that the twins were taken to the hospital and ticket was issued for their admission, DAG Amin Uddin Manik said citing the explanations.

The DAG said Bangladesh Islami Bank Hospital said in the explanation that they had no equipment for treating the newborns, but the hospital admitted their mother and provided her treatment.

BSMMU Director Brigadier General Dr Julfikar Amin Ahmed said in his explanation that he was holding a meeting when Abdul Kalam Azad went to the hospital with the newborn twins.

Immediately after being informed, he directed the officials concerned to admit the babies to NICU of the BSMMU, but the doctors found the babies dead, Kazi Ershadul Alam, a lawyer for BSMMU, told this correspondent.

Lawyer Mahbub Shafique appeared for Dhaka Shishu Hospital and lawyer Abdul Khaleque stood for Bangladesh Islami Bank Hospital during the virtual proceedings of the HC bench yesterday.

On November 2, the HC bench sought explanations from the authorities concerned of the three hospitals about the deaths of newborn twins.