An infant died at the Baghaichhari Upazila Health Complex in Rangamati on Friday.
The deceased one-month-old infant was daughter of Riton Chakma, a resident of Saroatali union at Baghaichari.
According to the family, the girl was on Friday morning brought to the emergency unit of the hospital, where on-duty doctors聽 declared her dead upon arrival.
Riton claimed that his daughter did not receive timely treatment as there was no oxygen cylinder available at the upazila medical facility.
Doctors later tried to revive her using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but it was too late to perform that, he said.
However, Debashish Boni, the attending physician at the Baghaichari Upazila Health Complex, said, 鈥楾he child had no pulse when she was brought to the hospital. She was already dead, but we tried to resuscitate her, assuming that she might still be alive. As per medical protocol, the CPR was administered. According to the infant鈥檚 mother, the girl was suffering from pneumonia. It鈥檚 not accurate to say that she died solely due to lack of oxygen. We currently have oxygen-dependent patients admitted at the facility.鈥�
Baghaichari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shirin Akhter said, 鈥榃e often receive complaints regarding the Baghaichhari Upazila Health Complex. We have spoken to the hospital staff members concerned on multiple occasions about the complaints. Today we鈥檝e heard of a tragic incident involving the death of an infant reportedly due to oxygen shortage.鈥�
The facility is facing shortages of doctors and various essential medical equipment, Shirin said, adding that in the hospital there was just one ambulance, which was currently out of service.
Rangamati civil surgeon Nuyan Khisa said, 鈥楢 medical officer has been assigned to the Baghaichhari Health Complex, but the medical officer has yet to join.鈥�
