A shroud of inconsolable grief has descended upon the family of Mahbuba Rahman Akhi, whose life was prematurely cut short due to alleged negligence and wrong treatment at Central Hospital in Dhaka's Green Road.
Akhi breathed her last at 1:43 pm on Sunday while undergoing treatment at the nearby Labaid Hospital, after a distressing episode which also saw the loss of her newborn, leaving her family friends, and acquaintances heartbroken.
A pall of sorrow fell on the hospital at the news of Akhi's demise. Some mourners were seen crying uncontrollably, while others were left dumbstruck. Her classmates and friends were also shell-shocked at the sudden turn of events.
Even the visitors of other patients could not help but shed tears at the unfolding tragedy.
Akhi's uncle was seen mourning in the hospital corridor, saying: "Everything is finished, everything is gone."
After a few moments of lamenting, he tried to console Akhi's bereaved husband Yakub, who was weeping uncontrollably.
Upon hearing the news of the death, Akhi's sister, Khaleda Akhtar Jui, rushed to the hospital.
“They killed her, they killed my sister,” she cried, sitting in the hospital corridor.
Jui further added: "I have nothing more to say, they killed her."
Sitting in the hospital, Akhi's brother Shamim said: "Our father also returned from Dhaka as a corpse. Now Akhi has too."
Mahbuba Rahman Akhi was admitted to Central Hospital on June 9 late at night due to labour pain under the care of gynaecologist Professor Dr Sangjukta Saha.
Though Prof Saha was not present at the hospital at the time, the hospital authorities allegedly bluffed the patient's family, saying she is in the hospital and will operate on Akhi.
Later, when Akhi and the newborn's situation deteriorated, the hospital authority suggested Yakub Ali to shift Akhi to another hospital and said the newborn had been put into ICU.
After admitting Akhi into Labaid hospital, the Central Hospital authority told Yakub Ali that their newborn had died.
Since then, Akhi was receiving treatment in the cardiac care unit (CCU) of Labaid Hospital.
Following the incident, Yakub Ali Sumon filed a case at Dhanmondi police station on Wednesday.
Dr Shahzadi, Dr Munna, Dr Milli, assistants Zamir and Ehsan and hospital Manager Parvez were made accused in the case, along with some unidentified individuals.
As a result, 11 hospital staffers including a doctor were suspended over the incident.
Two of the arrested doctors of Dhaka's Central Hospital, Dr Shahzadi and Dr Munna gave confessional statements before a Dhaka court on Thursday.
The court sent both of them to jail after recording their statement.
Finally, on Friday, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) ordered a halt to all types of surgical operations at the Central Hospital.
It also instructed that Professor Dr Sangjukta Saha be kept out of all medical activities.
The order came following an inspection, during which the DGHS team found the ICU did not have suitable conditions to house patients.
The whole tragedy unfolded when a Facebook status given by Akhi's friend Umme Maya Brishti went viral on social media.
A storm of criticism generated on Facebook against the treatment system of Central Hospital doctors and Prof Sangjukta Saha.
