Six face arrest warrants over alleged negligence in maternity death

A court in Naogaon has issued arrest warrants against six people, including two doctors, over the alleged death of a woman after gauze was reportedly left inside her abdomen during a C-section.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Naogaon Sadar Court No. 1 passed the order on Wednesday (October 7).

The accused are operating physician Fabliha Sadia Shafin, 29, anaesthetist Dr Md Akheruzzaman Rabi, 33, Metro Hospital Managing Director Md Ripon Ali, 37, operation theatre in-charge Mst Salma Bibi Nazma, 32, and alleged patient brokers Md Rashedul Islam Hiru, 33, and Md Nahid Babu, 22.

According to the case documents and relevant sources, Rahi Muni, a resident of South Sultanpur in Naogaon town, went to Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital on April 6 for childbirth.

A man allegedly convinced her family to have the C-section performed properly for Tk 8,000 and took her to the private Metro Hospital in the town.

Dr Fabliha Sadia Shafin performed the C-section that night. Her condition reportedly deteriorated after the operation, and her abdomen became abnormally swollen.

As her condition worsened the following day, doctors performed a second operation at the hospital. The case documents state that gauze was found inside her abdomen during the procedure.

She was later transferred to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura in critical condition, where she died on April 9 while undergoing treatment.

Following the incident, the Naogaon civil surgeon inspected Metro Hospital and said the facility was unregistered.

After reports on the incident were published in different media outlets, the matter came to the attention of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Naogaon Sadar Court No. 1 on April 13. The court subsequently took the case into cognisance on its own initiative.

The court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Naogaon superintendent to collect the post-mortem report and other necessary documents, identify those involved and submit a detailed investigation report with their names and addresses.

Following its investigation, the PBI submitted its report to the court on August 22.

Based on the investigation report, the court issued arrest warrants against the six accused on Wednesday.