Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain has defended the government's decision to suspend the licence of Ad-din Hospital, accusing opposition Jamaat lawmakers of politicising the issue after six newborn babies died following what he described as gross negligence.
Speaking during the general discussion on the proposed national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in Parliament on Sunday, the minister criticised opposition members for defending the hospital.
“Why do you link every issue with your party ideology? One cannot oppose the country in the name of ideology, which you had done in 1971,” he said, addressing lawmakers on the opposition benches.
Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said his foremost responsibility as health minister was to protect public health and ensure patient safety.
“Being the health minister, I must look after the health and welfare of my people. My children cannot be allowed to die without treatment,” he said, adding that the hospital had been granted permission to operate on the condition that it complied with required standards.
The minister expressed sympathy for the families of the six babies who died and alleged that the deaths resulted from negligence at the hospital. He acknowledged that Ad-din provided dialysis services at subsidised rates of Tk 200 to Tk 250, as highlighted by Jamaat lawmakers.
Responding to opposition criticism of the government's action, he said: “They asked whether a headache should be treated by cutting off the head. I say 'No'; it should not. But those who cut off heads must be brought to justice.”
He also rejected comparisons between the Ad-din incident and the fire at United Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which six people died.
According to the minister, United Hospital's licence was not suspended because the deaths resulted from an accident, whereas the Ad-din case involved what he described as gross negligence.
Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain alleged that the newborns were left struggling for breath after the air conditioning system was switched off in a windowless room without an adequate oxygen supply.
“The babies were gasping for breath while 16 or 17 mothers ran around helplessly. They eventually collapsed and died due to carbon dioxide accumulation. Even the owner did not come to see the situation after the death incident,” he claimed.
He said he visited the hospital the following day and spoke with two doctors.
“I found that the babies died because of negligence and a lack of oxygen. Should we have remained silent? Hospital discipline comes first. Bangladesh comes first,” he said.
The minister further alleged that a bakery had been established next to the hospital in violation of safety standards, creating a significant fire risk.
“If a fire broke out there, no patient or attendant would be able to escape. This happened because of the owner's negligence,” he alleged.
Defending the government's decision, he said the authorities had suspended the hospital's licence rather than closing it permanently.
“We have not asked to cut off heads. We have only suspended its licence. We, the government, are overseeing it. But you should not do politics for partisan gain,” he told opposition lawmakers.
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