Ctg Hospital Refers Newborn to Evercare NICU
Bdbusinessdaily.com – A newborn delivered at the Centre for Specialised Care and Research (CSCR) in Chattogram was moved to the neonatal intensive care unit at Evercare Hospital after a nurse allegedly injected a medication prescribed for the mother directly into the infant. Ctg hospital refers newborn to Evercare following a medical board’s recommendation once the baby’s condition deteriorated on 7 September. The administering nurse, Shafia Akter, was suspended the previous day.
How the Injection Reached the Wrong Patient
Mohammad Hasan, the infant’s father, recounted that his wife Shakila Yasmin — who carries A-negative blood — gave birth on a routine Saturday afternoon. Because the newborn tested A-positive, a physician prescribed Rhophylac 300, an anti-D immunoglobulin shot, to protect the mother against haemolytic disease in future pregnancies. Hasan obtained the vial from an outside pharmacy and brought it into the ward.
Hasan stated that his wife verbally informed the nurse the injection was for her alone. He said the nurse nonetheless advanced the needle into the newborn.
“When the injection was being administered, his wife told the nurse that it was prescribed for her, not the newborn. But even after that, the nurse pushed it into the newborn.”
Within minutes of the procedure, the infant’s temperature fell and skin colouration shifted. Staff shifted the baby to CSCR’s own NICU, where over the ensuing hours the child developed cardiac valve defects (at least two), respiratory distress, and a systemic blood infection. A subsequent echocardiogram identified an atrial septal defect, a patent ductus arteriosus, and pulmonary hypertension.
Hospital Investigation and the Family’s Pushback
CSCR constituted a three-member inquiry committee and convened a specialist medical board drawing on physicians from Chattogram Medical College. Dr Mohammad Salahuddin, the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, confirmed the board’s recommendation triggered the transfer and pledged that CSCR would bear the full cost of ongoing care at Evercare.
“However, it cannot be confirmed at this stage whether these complications were caused by the injection. The opinion of specialist doctors is needed in this regard.”
Hospital officials characterised the echocardiogram findings as congenital rather than iatrogenic, insisting that paediatric-cardiology experts must weigh in before any causal link to the Rhophylac administration can be established or excluded. Hasan disputed that framing, noting that his wife’s nine-to-ten-month pregnancy was managed by obstetrician Dr Taslima Banu at CSCR itself, during which a 22-week anomaly scan and multiple follow-up ultrasonograms detected no cardiac anomaly. He holds documentary records of those investigations and pointed out that physicians declared both mother and child healthy immediately after delivery.
Hasan also urged scrutiny beyond the individual nurse, calling for examination of the supervising physician’s oversight role and of the hospital’s broader procedural safeguards. Shakila Yasmin was discharged on the afternoon of 7 September once her parameters stabilised; the family alleged that ward staff had earlier pressured them to vacate the cabin and downplay the episode.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rhophylac 300 and why was it prescribed? Rhophylac 300 is an anti-D immunoglobulin injection given to mothers with Rh-negative blood after delivering an Rh-positive baby. It prevents the mother’s immune system from forming antibodies that could attack red blood cells in future pregnancies.
Why was the baby transferred to Evercare Hospital? A specialist medical board assembled by CSCR recommended the move after the infant’s clinical picture worsened. Evercare’s NICU provides the level of paediatric-cardiology and intensive-care support the board deemed necessary. CSCR is covering the full cost of treatment.
Has a causal link between the injection and the cardiac findings been confirmed? No. Hospital officials stated that the echocardiogram findings (ASD, PDA, pulmonary hypertension) appear congenital, but they acknowledged that definitive specialist opinions are still pending before any causal connection can be confirmed or ruled out.
What disciplinary action was taken? Nurse Shafia Akter was suspended on 6 September, the day after the Saturday delivery, pending the outcome of the three-member investigation committee’s findings.
