Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain on Sunday criticised opposition Jamaat lawmakers for defending Ad-din hospital, saying its license was suspended due to utter negligence that led to the death of six babies.
"Why do you link every issue with your party's ideology? One cannot oppose the country in the name of ideology, which you had done in 1971," he said, pointing at the opposition bench members in the parliament.
The Health Minister said this while taking part in the general discussion on the proposed national budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year in the House.
"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 took permission on condition of maintaining discipline.
The minister expressed deep sympathy for the families of the six babies who died, alleging that the deaths resulted from negligence at Ad-din Hospital.
He said it is true that Ad-din provides dialysis services at a subsidised rate of Tk 200 to Tk 250 as claimed by them (Jamaat MPs).
Countering arguments raised by the opposition in Parliament, "They (Jamaat MPs) 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."
The minister also rejected the comparison between the Ad-din incident and a deadly fire at United Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The license of United Hospital was not suspended following the death of six persons in a fire, as it was an accident, but it is an incident of gross negligence in Ad-din Hospital, he said.
Raising the horrible picture at Ad-din Hospital, Sakhawat Husain alleged that the newborns had struggled for their lives after the air conditioning system was switched off in a room without windows, and there was no 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 (of the hospital) did not come to see the situation (after the death incident)," he claimed.
The minister 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.
He further alleged that a bakery had been established adjacent to the hospital in violation of safety standards, creating a serious fire hazard.
"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 action, the minister said they had just suspended the hospital's licence rather than shutting it down 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 the opposition lawmakers.