57-day-old baby dies, SMCH doctors allegedly assaulted attendants, release patient; “Let Police inquire,” Principal

57-day-old baby admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital and under oxygen support died last night in Silchar. In a countrt, where the Prime Minister of India says “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” a 57-day-old girl Arifa Lakskar breathed her last while travelling on the road from SMCH to another hospitals. According to the father of the baby Sharik Ahmed Laskar, he was also assaulted by the doctor at the hospital.

“There was a problem with the knob in ICU and we had to switch it on manually every 20 minutes. We were doing it regularly as asked and the baby was responding well. But last night the doctor misbehaved with me and pushed me away from the paediatric ICU. I requested the doctors to allow me remain inside the ICU for the sake of her health. But they didn’t allow,” said Sharik Ahmed.

Apparently, Sharik Ahmed Laskar had asked the doctors why the baby was kept in a faulty ICU that needs manual intervention every 20 minutes. At this the doctors, according to family members, said “It is your lookout and none of our business.” That is when the father counter-questioned and the doctors retaliated.

Father of the kid called his family members and three of them rushed to the spot. “When three of us went there and asked why they pushed him out of the ICU, the doctor said wait, we will call the senior doctors. Instead they called a few more individuals who came in civil dress and started assaulting us left right and centre. Marks of wounds are all over the body and they forced us to kneel down and apologise,” added father of Arifa.

The father says, a few moments after the altercation, the baby was released against the wish of the family at 11:30 pm. “I pleaded to the doctors to not discharged the patient as her condition is critical. But yet the doctors discharged us. On our way to Civil hospital the kid died,” said a crying mother Masuma Begum Laskar.

Astonishingly, the discharge certificate issued by the SMCH states that the patient was discharged against medical advice. The discharge certificate consists a signature of “Lilly Begum Laskar” as mother. The signature is in English and the handwriting matches the handwriting of the medical officer who drafted the remaining formalities. “I am Masuma Begum Laskar, I sign in Bengali and have never written English in my entire life. Also, we do not have a Lilly in our entire family. Why will a mother with her kid at death-bed ask the doctors to release when the 57-day-old is in oxygen support,” added Masuma Begum Laskar.

An FIR has been lodged at Ghungoor Police Station and the additional SP Partha Pratim Saikia, Silchar OC, Ditumoni Goswami rushed to the spot. They spoke with the Principal of SMCH and visited the Paediatric Department to speak with the doctors.

Principal Dr. Babul Bezbaruah said, “Let the Police investigate the matter and unearth the truth.” He added, “It is my earnest request to all the attendants, if there is a technical error or medical issue, instead of calling people from outside, they must reach out to us at the quarters and we will handle the issue in a civilised manner.”