Imagine he recovered from ailments, just like he had earlier helped recover many patients, and returned home. Playing with two of his little children and gossiping with his wife who is also a doctor. Thinking about his colleagues how in his absence they are coping with patients. And waiting to share his stories with patients and colleagues how he beat the coronavirus.
The story could have been like this.
But the story did not end this way. Dr Md Moyeen Uddin, an assistant professor at the department of medicine of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, died from coronavirus on Wednesday morning while undergoing treatment at the Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka, closing all his worldly accounts.
Dr Moyeen was rendering healthcare services to the suspected coronavirus patients at the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
When there was a supply shortage of personal protective equipments (PPEs) at the initial stage, he never denied attending patients without the safety gear. The selfless doctor even distributed his share of PPEs among the junior doctors for their safety and protection.
He did not keep any for himself, said his colleagues.
His colleagues and relatives said he was an absolute good man. He used to get saddened seeing other people’s sufferings. He had a smiling face and was very popular among the senior and junior doctors at his workplace. His family members, colleagues and well wishers are mourning deeply his demise.
When he was on a leave, he used to go to his village home in Chatak upazila of Sunamganj district and provide treatments to the villagers for free. He even gave them various medicines for free.
He was very much compassionate toward the patients. Even in this trying time during coronavirus pandemic, he worked incessantly without any day-off and kept on providing services to the patients so none goes untreated, said his colleagues.
Moyeen had also kept his private chamber open for the sick people. In his private chamber, he used to spare poor patients of the visiting fee, said his colleagues.
A student of K-48 batch at Dhaka Medical College, Dr Moyeen joined the public service by appearing in the 22nd BCS examination. He obtained FCPS and an MD degree on cardiology. Prior to joining the Sylhet medical college hospital in 2016, he worked as a junior consultant of medicine at the South Surma Upazilla Health Complex.
Recalling some memories, Associate Professor Dr Md Mainul Islam Choudhury of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College said Moyeen was respectful to his seniors, and was joyful and very polite.
'Negligence' of the authorities?
Moyeen got infected with coronavirus and was tested positive on April 5. He had been isolated at his home since then. Soon he had developed acute respiratory problem and was admitted to a local private hospital in Sylhet on April 7. On April 8, he was shifted to Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka where he died on Wednesday.
Rumour has it that Moyeen did not get the support he was entitled to from the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital authorities.
The physician had requested the government for an ambulance to fly to Dhaka for better treatment. But he did not get it.
A colleague of him, who did not want to be named, said Moyeen had requested the hospital authorities to manage an air ambulance for him, but he did not get it.
Finding no other way, family members brought Moyeen to Dhaka by a rented private ambulance, he alleged.
Meanwhile, English daily Dhaka Tribune also quoted a student of Dr Moyeen as saying: “Even a few days ago, an AC land [who was actually an accident victim] was airlifted to CMH in Dhaka. The AC land is a grade nine official, whereas, sir was a grade six government official.”
Dr Moyeen neither got an ICU bed at his own hospital nor a government ambulance, the student added.
The Business Post spoke to Osmani Medical College Hospital Director Brig Gen Yunusur Rahman about the allegations, asking him why the hospital authorities could not manage an air ambulance for Dr Moyeen.
In this regard, Yunusur said he tried his level best to manage one. But the air ambulance authorities did not want to carry coronavirus infected patients.
“That is the reason we failed to get an ambulance for him,” Yunusur said.
In reply to another question why ailing Dr Moyeen was not admitted to the hospital, Yunusur said the hospital does not have ICU facilities for Covid-19 patients.
The government had designated Sylhet's Shaheed Shamsuddin Ahmad Hospital for the Covid-19 patients requiring ICU support.
As Dr Moyeen needed ICU support, he was admitted to the private hospital, he said.
While talking about the issue why Moyeen was not given the government ambulance, Yunusur said the hospital authorities in fact wanted to provide an ambulance.
But Moyeen’s family preferred the one that had better ICU facilities, Yunusur added.
Moyeen is the first physician patient who died of Covid-19 in the country. Currently, more than 100 doctors got infected with the virus while playing frontline roles in fight against coronavirus.
