DHAKA: Pay the bill first and then take the body. Such saying by the authorities, perhaps, was the unkindest of cut for the kinsmen of a nurse of a big-name hospital where she served and died a premature death.             

The authorities of the city’s Holy Family Hospital allegedly put on hold its staff nurse’s body for not paying her hefty treatment bill for over eight hours.

The victim was Mahfuza Akthar, 24, a nurse of the hospital, hailed from Uttarkhan thana’s Miapara area.

Abdul Khaleq, maternal uncle of Mahfuza, told banglanews that the hospital authorities claimed Tk 30,000 when they went to take the body.

“We prayed to Dr Izaz Ahmed Hiru, director of the hospital, for waiving the bill, but he did not entertain our prayer,” he said.

Khaleq quoted Dr Izaz as saying, “Pay the bill first and then take the body.”  

Even Mahfuza’s over a year’s service failed to break the cruelty of the hospital authorities.

Witnesses and workers of the hospital said Mahfuza had worked in the hospital as nurse. She was vomiting continuously while on duty at around 3am Friday.

Later, colleagues shifted her to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after the worsening of her condition. She died there at around 12:30pm Saturday.

Agitation mounted among victim’s family members, nurses and fourth-class workers after the news of the ‘cruelty’ broke, said a physician of the hospital.

Meanwhile, assistant director of the hospital Dr Harun-ur-Rashid informed that the hospital officers and an agitated mob locked into a clash and rampage over the incident.

Victim’s brother Monwar Hossain received the body after signing a deed that they would pay the bill of the hospital within seven days.

They also paid Tk 10,000 during the deal, Monwar added.

Mahfuza’s brother told banglanews he could not understand how the bill could run into Tk 30,000 for 7/8 hours’ treatment.

The hospital director was not available over phone for his says on the matter when he was contacted.

BDST: 1855 HRS, SEPT 19, 2010