A female physician allegedly died of anesthesia complications during a laparoscopic surgery at a private hospital located nearby Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Debipur area of Feni Sadar.
The Directorate General of Health Services in Dhaka has formed a five-member body to look into the matter and asked to submit a report within five days.
The deceased Dr. Akifa Sultana Tumpa, a senior clinical pathologist at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College in Dhaka, was from MMC's 39th batch and a 31st BCS cadre.
Dr. Akifa had been diagnosed with an intramural fibroid (24 weeks corresponding size), meaning non-cancerous growths within the walls of the uterus and had consulted Dhaka’s gynecologists who recommended an open surgery.
However, being unmarried, she preferred laparoscopic surgery. Her relative, Dr. Nilufa Sultana, advised her to visit one Dr. Abdul Kaiyum of Feni for the procedure.
As per the advice, Dr. Akifa consulted Dr. Kaiyum and was admitted to Feni Private Hospital and Laparoscopy Center last Friday evening for surgery.
Attempts to intubate Dr. Akifa succeeded on the fourth try, during which she experienced several cardiac arrests (vegetative state). Consequently, the operation could not proceed and she was transferred to the ICU at Chittagong Medical College.
There were plans to transfer her to Square Hospital's ICU on Saturday afternoon, but she breathed her last in an ambulance on the way to Dhaka.
Dr. Md. Ariful Haque, Junior Consultant (Anesthesia) at Feni Sadar Hospital, said that anesthesiologist Dr. Abdur Rahman failed to intubate successfully in the first attempt, causing the patient to regain consciousness as the effect of succinylcholine wore off. Subsequent attempts also failed, leading to a critical drop in her oxygen levels to below 50 percent %.
Feni Sadar Hospital’s Resident Medical Officer Dr. Asif then took charge, he said.
Dr. Abdul Kaiyum, owner of Feni Private Hospital and Laparoscopy Center, said that experienced anesthesiologist Dr. Abdur Rahman and Dr. Asif were both present.
Dr. Asif administered a long-acting sedative that lasts 40 minutes to an hour, which harmed the patient. This is a known issue with non-depolarizing agents among anesthesiologists, he defended.
Contacted, Dr. Asif Iqbal avoided commenting on this point, saying that he would provide all information to the investigation committee.
The probe committee has Dr. Md. Jalal Hossain, Assistant Director of the 250-bed General Hospital in Feni, as the convenor, and Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman, Senior Consultant (Surgery), as the member secretary.
Other members include Dr. Touhidul Islam, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer, Daganbhuiyan, Feni; Dr. Tahira Khatun, Junior Consultant (Gynecology), and Dr. Md. Illias Bhuiyan, Junior Consultant (Anesthesia), both from the 250-bed General Hospital in Feni.