HC criticises DGHS report on Ayaan’s death, says it's based on assumptions

The High Court has criticised the Directorate General of Health Services' investigation report on the death of child Ayaan Ahmed, who died after a circumcision procedure at United Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, labelling it as "based on assumptions".

"There are many skilled doctors in the country. It is suspicious that three out of the four members of the investigative committee formed by the DGHS were from the same medical college [Mugda Medical College]. It appears that the committee has based its report on assumptions," reads the written order published today.

Earlier on 29 January right after the submission of the DGHS report, the HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah said the report that the investigation committee of the Directorate of Health submitted was "ridiculous" and it had been published to "eyewash" people.

On 20 February, in response to the shortcomings of the initial investigation, the HC formed a new probe committee tasked with re-examining the circumstances leading to Ayaan's untimely demise at the hospital on 8 January.

The full written order was published Tuesday.

The written order reads, "We have carefully considered the arguments of both sides and reviewed the information on record. There is no dispute that child Ayaan was admitted to the hospital solely for circumcision. There is also no dispute that Ayaan's condition deteriorated due to the method of anesthesia before the circumcision.

"The death of child Ayaan, however, was not conclusively addressed by the four-member committee formed by the Health Services division. Instead, the committee speculated in their report that child Ayaan suffered from bronchial asthma, raising questions about the actual cause of death."

The court found the report from the Health Services Division's investigative committee unsatisfactory.

"It is essential to form an investigative committee to ensure transparency and improvement in our health system," said the order.

"For ensuring transparency and improvement in our health system, forming an investigative committee is imperative. Hence, we are forming a new five-member committee. They will submit a new investigation report to the court within a month," the High Court said on 20 February.

The head of the committee is Professor ABM Maksudul Alam, dean of the Department of Anesthesiology at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital. The other members include Professor Sushankar Kumar Mandal from the Pediatric Surgery Department of BSMMU, Professor Hafizur Rahman from the Law Department of Dhaka University, Professor Aminur Rashid from the Pediatric Surgery Department of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, and Associate Professor Sathi Dastidar from the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM).

"The committee is requested to investigate the matter and submit a report to the court within a month from the date of receiving this order," the written order further reads.