Suraiya Begum, a baby who was shot while in her mother’s womb, was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.
Her mother Nazma Begum was hit by bullets when caught in a factional clash at Doarpara of Magura sadar upazila on July 23.
The bullet went through the unborn baby’s right shoulder and damaged her right eye. She was born after a three-hour-long operation at Magura General Hospital.
She was then taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on July 24 for better treatment.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim and Dr Kaniz handed over Suraiya to her mother around 2pm that day. The minister also handed over Suraiya’s discharge letter to her father.
Dr Kaniz Hasina, the Paediatric Department associate professor in-charge of her treatment, said Suraiya was formally discharged on Thursday around 4pm.
She said the baby’s father, Bachchu Miah, was told to come back two months after for a regular check up of the baby.
Terming the treatment procedure as difficult, she said the doctors could not have imagined the baby would have come around within a short time.
“Finally we can discharge her and say she is now out of danger.”
As for sight in her right eye, Dr Kaniz said medicines have been prescribed for the eye, and two months later, when her father returns for a checkup, doctors will examine it to see if it needs to be operated on.
Suraiya was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and her mother was taken to Ward 212 on July 31. Nazma was taken to the hospital seven days after Suraiya was born, as she was not in a condition to travel from Magura to Dhaka.
The baby was injured when her eight-month pregnant mother was shot in the abdomen during an attack by a Jubo League faction on another faction on July 23 in Magura that left one dead and another injured.
On August 18, Mehedi Hasan Ajibor, the third person accused in the case, was killed in a gunfight with police in Doarpara. Nine others accused of the clash were also caught by the district police.
