A human chain was held demanding the resignation of the civil surgeon and the superintendent of Rajbari Sadar Hospital over the death of a young man, allegedly for lack of antivenom at the hospital.

It was held on the hospital premises at about 11:30am on Sunday (9 August) under the banner of a conscious citizens' group.

Speakers said: "Good doctors and medicines are not available at Rajbari Sadar Hospital. Because of negligence, a young snakebite victim named Hridoy died on 7 August. He was brought to the hospital but sent to Faridpur without being given antivenom, and he later died. Many incidents like this have happened."

They said patients who come with ordinary problems are also sent to Faridpur, and the superintendent and civil surgeon are responsible. They demanded that the two be removed and replaced by better officials, and that treatment be improved.

Hospital superintendent Dr Sheikh Mohammad Hannan said the claim that there was no antivenom was false. He said the hospital has enough antivenom, kept in the emergency department. The snakebite patient was brought in a critical condition and first of all needed ICU support, which is why he was sent to Faridpur, but unfortunately he died. Talk of mismanagement at the hospital was baseless, he said.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.