The Central Hospital authorities have said that there was a directive from Dr Sangjukta Saha to admit patients in her name during her absence and that is why Mahbuba Rahman Akhi was admitted to the hospital under her supervision on June 9, even though the doctor was not present at that time.
The hospital authorities made the claim while providing initial clarification regarding the unfortunate demise of Eden College student Mahbuba Rahman Akhi and her newborn due to alleged wrong treatment at Dhaka's Central Hospital.
The clarifications were issued in a press release signed by Central Hospital Director Dr MA AB Siddique and Vice Chairman Dr MA Kashem on Sunday.
According to the hospital authorities, previously patients were admitted in her name when she was not present, and they were treated by consultants designated by her.
The hospital said preliminary investigations revealed that Dr Sangjukta Saha traveled to Dubai without informing the hospital authorities.
On June 10, the day after her departure, the patient's appointment was scheduled by the hospital authorities.
The authorities have strongly refuted the press briefings conducted by Dr Sangjukta Saha, labeling them as false, misleading, and driven by ulterior motives.
They asserted that her statements have seriously damaged the reputation of the hospital, and she is attempting to evade her own responsibilities by shifting blame onto the institution.
Additionally, the Central Hospital authorities have vehemently denied any involvement in commission payments, both giving and receiving.
They have provided bills that clearly indicate the separate amounts for hospital services and the doctor's fees. These bills have been submitted to the probe bodies for verification.
The hospital has raised questions about Dr Sangjukta Saha's claim that there are no rules and regulations at Central Hospital. They wanted to know how she has been working at the institution since 2007 if such protocols do not exist.
Moreover, they question her promotion of the hospital through various videos if she believed it lacked proper regulations.
Responding to Dr Sangjukta Saha's statement that she dedicated more time to Central Hospital, leading to her discontinuation at another institution, the authorities questioned why she left the other institution if she believed the Central Hospital had no rules.
They have emphasized the need for forensic verification to shed light on the situation. They assert that by examining the patient's conversation record with Dr Sangjukta Saha's assistant, Md Zamir, along with the call history of Prof Dr Sangjukta Saha's mobile phone between 10:30pm and 3am, as well as the WhatsApp and messenger conversations, the truth will become evident.
Dr Shahzadi, another doctor at Central Hospital, affirmed that she had also spoken to the Dr Sangjukta via mobile phone regarding Akhi's treatment. Conducting a forensic test on Dr Saha's mobile phone will provide conclusive information, the press release said.
Furthermore, the Central Hospital authorities contested the claim that Dr Sangjukta Saha practiced at hospitals other than Central Hospital.
The reality is that Dr Sangjukta Saha had a team dedicated to normal deliveries and her own patients. On-call doctors were responsible for managing her patients. The Central Hospital doctors followed the instructions of Dr Sangjukta Saha and her team.
The administration and management of the hospital had no involvement in the admission of Akhi under Dr Sahar's care.
Akhi had been under the care of gynaecologist and obstetrician Professor Dr Sangjukta Saha at Central Hospital for three months. The doctor had previously confirmed that her physical condition was normal and that normal delivery was possible.
On June 9, at 12:50pm, Akhi was admitted to Central Hospital under the supervision of Dr Sangjukta Saha, due to labor pains. During that time, Dr Sangjukta Saha was out of the country, but the hospital authorities informed the patient's relatives that she was present and working in the Operation Theatre (OT). When the attempt for normal delivery by another doctor was unsuccessful, the baby was delivered through a surgical procedure.
Unfortunately, the child passed away the following day. Akhi, while undergoing treatment at LabAid Hospital, passed away on June 18 in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, following the child's death, Akhi's husband Yakub Ali filed a case of negligence leading to death at Dhanmondi police station on June 14.
In the case, Dr Shahzadi, Dr Muna, Dr Milli, assistant Zamir, Ehsan, and hospital manager Parvez were named as accused.
Furthermore, several unidentified individuals have also been accused in the case. Subsequently, after the case was filed, the police arrested Dr Shahzadi and Dr Muna from the hospital.
