Faridpur newborn Galiba dies

Father Nazmul Huda told the Dhaka Tribune that the premature baby, Galiba Hayat, died around 10:30pm yesterday. He said that the body was kept at the hospital, and that they would take her to Faridpur this morning. Galiba cried out at the graveyard when her family members were preparing to bury her Thursday morning, six hours after a doctor pronounced her dead. He earlier said that Galiba, weighing only 700gms when she was born on Wednesday, had been under the observation of Dr Ahmed Yusuf. “The doctors at the [Square] hospital are trying their level best to heal the baby,” he told the Dhaka Tribune in the evening. Nazmul, however, expressed frustration as her condition was not improving since Saturday when she had been brought to Dhaka on a helicopter and admitted to the hospital. “The doctors are pushing injections or something else to the infant on medical purposes. Already four bags of blood have been given to her. But her condition still remains critical.” The doctors earlier told the father that the newborn’s chance of recovery was slim. Urging to people to pray for his child, Nazmul said that the man who had brought the child to Dhaka was also bearing the treatment costs. Naznin Akter Popy, the mother, felt labour pains around 9pm on Wednesday, and was taken to Jahid Memorial Child Hospital in Faridpur town. The hospital authorities first refused to admit her, saying there were no beds left unoccupied. When he requested Dr Rezia Alam to examine the mother, who was due in January, the doctor refused, saying she would “attend her later,” Nazmul alleged. Naznin gave birth to the premature baby around midnight normally in the doctor’s room, where she had been waiting all the while. After sometime, Rezia came out of the operation theatre and declared the infant dead saying she had no pulse. The family members then took the baby to Faridpur Municipality Graveyard for burial. As it was still dark, an employee asked them to wait until the morning. They obliged, keeping the carton carrying the baby beside a concrete-made grave. In the morning, while reciting from the Qur’an imam Abdur Rab asked the staff to open the carton. As they opened it, the baby cried out and moved its limbs. Both the hospital authorities and the district civil surgeon have launched separate investigations on the matter as it created much hype.