Healthcare, education hampered for chaos

Dhaka Shishu Hospital

Special Correspondent: Allegation has been intensified that the healthcare and educational activities of Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital (DSH) are being hampered tremendously due to massive irregularities and mismanagement of the authorities concerned as well as conflict and chaos between two rival groups of the teachers and students over establishing supremacy.
The teachers and students have been engaged in lodging allegations against each other. As a result, the hospital has now turned into invisible battlefield and is going to lose its long cherished tradition, insiders said.
Dr. Howlader Muhammad Mejbah Uddin, also a student of MS Phase-B in a complaint submitted to the Director of Bangladesh Institute of Child Health (BICH), also academic wing of DSH on June 6 in 2021 has claimed that he has been facing complications over his thesis activities as his teacher and Co-guide Assistant Professor Dr. Sabbir Karim has published an article on an international journal over the same issue.
The article titled ‘Outcome of Muscle Complex Saving PSARP (MCS PSARP): 3 Years Experience in a Tertiary Pediatric Hospital in Bangladesh’ was published on February 22.
Mejbah Uddin claimed that Dr. Sabbir Karim was appointed as Co-guide by the Thesis and Dissertation Committee for
carrying a thesis entitled ‘Outcome of muscle complex saving posterior sagittal anorectoplasty for high and intermediate variety anorectal malformation’. But, Dr. Sabbir Karim published an article with the similar issue just after around one and half year of starting the thesis.
Terming the act as unethical, Mejbah further said, “I have fallen in trouble to carry out my thesis over the issue. If the problem is not resolved shortly by the authorities concerned, my academic activities may be disrupted seriously.
Dr. Syed Shafi Ahmed Muaz, Member Secretary of Managing Board and Director of the hospital admitted about the conflict and chaos between the two groups of physicians and said, “An order of compulsory retirement (forced retirement) was issued against Dr. Sabbir Karim on July 11 for violating service rule and discipline of the institution and making negative remarks against the members of the Managing Board.”
While contacted, Dr. Sabbir Karim declined the allegation of thesis manipulation and said, “I have become victim of vengeance for protesting against some anomalies of the hospital authorities. The authorities concerned of the hospital fired me, as I protested against a physician named Ayub Ali, who theft various research reports published on different journals earlier. Meanwhile, a writ petition has been submitted to the High Court in this regard. After hearing, the court issued a rule asking why Dr. Ayub Ali’s promotion as an Associate Professor would not be declared illegal. The court also asked the Health Secretary, Director and Deputy Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Assistant Director (Administration) of the hospital, administrative officer, Board of Directors, Recruiting Committee-1 and the accused Dr. Ayub Ali to give reply by four weeks on the issue. Not only that, the court issued a show cause rule to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC).”
According to the writ petition, Dr Sabbir Karim complained that, Dr. Hasanuzzaman, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery completed his MS at the Dhaka Shishu Hospital, while working in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in 2014. The title of his thesis was “Patio repair’. By copying most of the data, statistics, case studies and results of the study, Dr. Ayub Ali published a research report on a journal on November in 2015. He however, got a promotion as an Assistant Professor in 2017 without being registered.
Similarly, the title and content, which were published on the journal of Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital in 2018, were exactly copied by Dr. Ayub Ali and published in another journal.
“When, I protested the incident demanding action against Dr. Ayub Ali, they have intentionally intensified several allegations against me,” said Sabbir Karim.
While asked about Mejbah’s complaint, Dr. Farid Uddin, Director (Academic) of BICH declined to make any comment in this regard on the plea of a decision taken recently by the higher authorities of the hospital.
Seeking anonymity, some peace loving students of the institution said, academic atmosphere of the institution has reached on the verge of ruination due to prevailed chaos between several groups of the teachers and students. Besides, health care activities are being hampered putting many children lives at risk. If such practices of the physicians are not stopped now, the situation may take serious turn in the future.
Replying to a query, Dr. Syed Shafi Ahmed Muaz further said, “If the teachers and students keep busy to submitting complaint and counter complaint against each other, it will be difficult to maintain the administrative atmosphere of the hospital. Besides, there is needed political will to pull the reins of corrupt physicians.”
While contacted with Dr. Ayub Ali over cell phone, he also declined to make any comment in this regard saying that it has now reached to High Court. So, I can’t make any comment on it until the court resolves the matter.