Doctor's negligence

By Mihir, Dept. of English, Rajshahi University
24 February 2004, 18:00 PM
The day was 15 December, 2003. My sister-in-law (my cousin's wife) was admitted to a government hospital, "Ma O Shishu Kallyan Kendra," Rajshahi, with labour pain . She was received there cordially but had to leave the place in a state of trauma, because she could not take her baby alive to her house due to the negligence of the doctors (?) and nurses (?)After the patient being admitted there, the lady doctor said that my sister-in-law was all right , and she would deliver the baby normally. But later on, the doctor changed her position and said the patient should undergo an operation within 5.00pm. She added that it was not possible for her to stay there after that time, because she would work at her private clinic. She also threatened my cousin, the husband of the patient, that if any complications arose after that time, she would not be responsible . They advised my cousin to admit the patient to her clinic, if he wanted a normal delivery. In this context, I have a question what's the difference between the hospital and her clinic when the same doctor was attending the same patient ?

Here it should be mentioned that it was the doctor's official duty to work at the hospital all time even on a holiday. So, naturally a quarrel ensued between my cousin and the doctor. On the other hand, the patient was groaning with pain. Besides, my cousin feared that the doctor could do harm to the baby or the patient if he acted against her wishes. So, at one point, he was bound to permit the doctor to operate upon his wife. The work was done successfully in the doctor's opinion.

Next day, 16 December, the doctor did not come to see the baby or the patient though if was her duty to do so. When the baby (male) was 60 hours old, he died suddenly. The doctor could not even find out the cause of my nephew'' death. How can it be explained?