A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking its directives to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the death of Raahib Reza, who suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing an endoscopy at Labaid Hospital in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
The writ also sought Tk10 crore in compensation for Raahib's family due to the alleged negligence of doctors.
On February 19, Raahib, 31, passed away while undergoing treatment at the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).
His family members allege that Raahib was given anaesthesia without a prior examination of his test reports at Labaid Hospital.
They claim that the endoscopy was conducted despite his existing physical complications, leading to a heart attack and his subsequent death.
The doctor involved in the procedure, Prof Mamun Al Mahtab (Swapnil), former chairman of the Hepatology Department and head of the Interventional Hepatology Department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), claimed that he was unaware of the patient's pre-existing conditions.
According to relatives, Prof Mamun Al Mahtab had recommended that Raahib undergo an endoscopy on February 15. He was instructed to arrive at Labaid Hospital on an empty stomach by 6:30pm. Although he arrived on time, the endoscopy started around 11pm.
A family member forcibly entered the endoscopy room as no update was provided an hour and a half later of the endoscopy and found Raahib in a critical state. His condition worsened, leading to his transfer to the ICU, where he was declared dead by doctors on the morning of February 19.
Raahib's colleague and close friend Farhan Islam was at Labaid during the endoscopy.
He said: "I often heard complaints against Dr Swapnil that he would make patients sit for hours and move around. However, since Raahib had gone to him earlier and decided to do an endoscopy under his supervision, so I also went there. We reached there at 6:30pm and waited for Dr Swapnil. He arrived at 10pm. Then they hurriedly took Raahib for an endoscopy without seeing the test report."
