An attendant of a patient was beaten at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Sunday night reportedly for refusing to buy an injection from outside.

The victim, Delowar Hossain, brought his maternal uncle, Yazuddin Ali Pramanik Babu, 47, to the hospital on Sunday evening from Atrai upazila of Naogaon after the latter had suffered a heart attack.

Delowar, a medical assistant by profession, told New Age that Ashanur Sharif Synthi, the on-duty doctor at the cardiac ward, told him that she found a heart blockage for which an injection, worth Tk 47,000, was required.

Delowar said that the doctor offered to provide the injection from the manufacturing company on condition that he would pay the money within 24 hours.

‘I then contacted journalist Bulbul Habib, who has been known to me for long, over the phone and asked for his opinion,’ he said.

After a while, the doctor started misbehaving with Delowar on allegation that he had lodged a complaint against the doctor with the head of the cardiac ward.

‘At one stage, the doctor called the hospital’s employees and security guards who started punching me in the face and body,’ Delowar said, adding that the doctor also forcibly took away his mobile phone.

Delowar said that on the advice of an Ansar member, he then left the hospital with his uncle to avoid further assault.

Journalist Bulbul Habib told New Age that he contacted the cardiac department head over the phone who informed him that the injection was available in the hospital and was provided free to the patient.

He said that Ashanur Sharif Synthi contacted him using Delowar’s mobile phone and verbally abused him for contacting the cardiac department head.

When Bulbul Habib informed the incident to the RMCH director, the latter then brought the patient and his attendant to the hospital back and provided necessary treatment.

Delowar Hossain told New Age that the senior doctors told him on Monday morning that his uncle did not have a blockage in the heart and he did not need any such injection.

When contacted, Ashanur Sharif Synthi’s mother received the phone call and asked this correspondent to contact the RMCH director in this connection.

RMCH director Brigadier General FM Shamim Ahmed told New Age that there was a misunderstanding between the doctor and the patient’s attendant that resulted in the incident.

He said that they were investigating the incident and would take necessary action as required.