Patient dies minutes after injection at Pirojpur Hospital

A 30-year-old woman died within minutes of receiving an injection at Pirojpur Sadar Hospital on Friday (November 6) night, prompting allegations of medical negligence and wrong treatment from her family.

The deceased was identified as Lucky, wife of Riazul Islam of Norkhali village under Pirojpur Sadar Upazila. She is survived by three children, including a four-month-old infant.

According to family members, Lucky was brought to the hospital at around 7:00PM on Friday complaining of chest and abdominal pain.

Sonia, the deceased's sister-in-law who accompanied her, stated that she informed the attending doctor that Lucky had experienced loose motions five to six times. However, the physician ruled out diarrhoea and admitted her to the female ward.

"Lucky lost consciousness within two minutes of being administered an injection," Sonia alleged. She claimed that when she alerted on-duty nurses, they dismissed the concern, stating the patient was sleeping. The nurses reportedly ignored repeated requests to check on her until the shift change after 8:00 PM, when incoming nursing staff found Lucky dead.

Following the incident, the hospital’s Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Nizam Uddin visited the ward. He assured that an inquiry committee will be constituted to investigate whether there was any medical negligence or improper treatment.

Dr Swagato Haldar, the emergency department physician who initially attended to Lucky, stated that the patient was brought in with severe chest pain and in critical condition. He had advised several diagnostic tests, including an electrocardiogram (ECG).

"As part of primary emergency care, pain-relieving injections and medications were administered to manage the severe pain," Dr Haldar said, adding that a definitive diagnosis could not be reached as test results were pending, though standard emergency protocols were followed.

Relatives gathered at the hospital premises following news of the death, but no untoward incidents were reported.

-EM