Shreepur Maternity Death Sparks Hospital Outrage

In Shreepur, Gazipur, the sudden death of a 25-year-old mother following childbirth has sparked outrage among local residents and the family of the deceased. Allegations of medical negligence have surfaced against Life Care Hospital, located at Maona Crossroad, with family members claiming that hospital staff abandoned the patient’s body without informing relatives. The incident escalated into property damage at the hospital as enraged locals protested.

The deceased, Ruma Akter, was the wife of Md. Manik Mia from Ujilab village in Shreepur. She had undergone a caesarean section, after which her newborn child was reported to be in stable condition. According to relatives, on Monday morning at around 10 a.m., Ruma’s body was left in an ambulance outside the hospital, after which the hospital staff reportedly fled the scene. This led to immediate unrest among the family and local community, culminating in vandalism within the hospital premises.

Relatives described a harrowing ordeal: the surgery began at approximately 10 p.m. on Sunday. Although the baby was delivered after roughly two hours, no updates regarding Ruma’s condition were provided to the family. At some point during the night, she was allegedly transferred to a hospital in Dhaka without notifying her relatives. By the following morning, she was declared dead, and the hospital staff abandoned her body outside the facility.

Ruma’s sister, Kamrun Nahar, said, “We were not informed of her condition during or after the operation. The hospital’s lack of communication left us completely in the dark. When we arrived in the morning, we were shocked to find Ruma’s body unattended in an ambulance.”

Another relative, Manjuma Akter, alleged, “Her death was caused by a caesarean operation performed by nurses without the presence of a qualified doctor, which amounts to gross medical negligence.”

Gazipur Civil Surgeon Mamunur Rashid confirmed receiving the complaint regarding the maternal death. He added that the Shreepur Upazila administration would conduct an on-site inspection and organise a mobile court at the hospital to investigate the matter. Attempts to obtain statements from the hospital’s owner, Md. Parvez, or other staff were unsuccessful.

Shreepur Police Inspector (Investigation) Zafar Ali told the media, “We were alerted and arrived at the hospital promptly. The unrest was due to the patient’s death. Currently, the situation has been stabilised, and no further incidents have been reported.”

Key Details of the Case

The incident has drawn public attention to medical accountability and hospital safety standards in the region. Authorities are expected to provide updates after completing their inquiry, and the community awaits further action to ensure justice and prevent such tragedies in the future.