Ad-Din Hospital retains license: only pathology lab penalized

A dispute has emerged over the government's decision to revoke the licence of Ad-Din Hospital following the deaths of six newborns, with the hospital's lawyer claiming that the order applies only to the facility's pathology unit rather than the hospital itself.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Advocate Shishir Monir shared a copy of the licence cancellation order and argued that the licence number cited in the show-cause notice -- HSM 4310059 -- belongs to the hospital's pathology centre, not the main hospital. According to him, the hospital operates under a separate licence numbered HSM 4310058.

He questioned whether the government had intended to cancel the hospital's licence or that of the pathology unit, suggesting that the matter may involve an administrative error requiring clarification from the authorities.

However, Director of the Hospital and Clinic Branch at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr Abu Hossain Md Moinul Ahsan, maintained that the order clearly referred to the cancellation of the hospital's licence. He added that any discrepancies in the documentation could be corrected later if necessary.

Earlier, DGHS Director General Prof Dr Provat Chandra Biswas said the hospital's licence had been revoked under Section 11(2)(b) of the Medical Practice and Private Clinics and Laboratories (Regulation) Ordinance, 1982, after authorities found its response to a show-cause notice unsatisfactory.

The action followed an investigation into the deaths of six newborns at the hospital on May 27. The probe reportedly identified oxygen shortages and negligence by hospital authorities as contributing factors behind the incident.

Read More: Ad-Din Hospital loses licence over deaths of six newborns

Under the 1982 ordinance, the hospital authorities have the right to appeal the decision to the government within 30 days of the licence cancellation order.