Labaid Hospital yesterday provided Tk 50 lakh for the family of Mridul Kanti Chakrabarty, a Dhaka University professor who died at the hospital on August 15 allegedly due to negligence in his treatment.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said the Labaid authorities handed him over a cheque for Tk 50 lakh at his office yesterday evening.
The cheque has been issued in the name of Jaya Chakrabarty, wife of Mridul Kanti. She is now in Sunamganj attending the post-funeral rituals for her husband.
"The cheque will be handed over to Jaya on her return to Dhaka," the DU VC said.
The family of Mridul Kanti alleged his treatment started at least an hour after he had been taken to the hospital around 9:45am on August 15.
His nephew Nirjhar Bhattacharya said the hospital authorities took almost half an hour to complete the admission formalities. They then took another 20-25 minutes to take him to a cabin although he was suffering serious dehydration caused by diarrhoea.
Nirjhar also told the media Mridul, who was a diabetes patient, was not given any saline despite repeated requests to the authorities.
After the death of Prof Mridul, a teacher of DU music department and a noted musician, the university demanded an investigation into the alleged negligence of the hospital in the treatment.
The teachers and students have been putting pressure on the university authorities to claim compensation for the victim's family.
After visiting the body of Prof Mridul, his close friend Finance Minister AMA Muhith had remarked, "This is so sad that such an incident has taken place at a hospital like Labaid."
On Wednesday, the High Court summoned Labaid Cardiac Hospital's chairman, director and chief consultant to appear before it on August 23 to explain the failure to provide proper treatment to Mridul Kanti.
Source : The Daily Star
