Doctors at the state-run Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital have come under fire for New Year celebrations at workplace, which included a concert as well as fireworks.


No proper clearance from the district administration or the police was secured for the event, which was attended by Civil Surgeon Shah Alam, president of district unit of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (SWACHIP), the ruling Awami League-backed doctors' association, Dr Md Abu Sayed and Sadar Hospital Superintendent Md Shawkat Hossain.
Videos posted on social media showed fireworks and crackers going off at the hospital premises as part of New Year celebrations by doctors, their family members and relatives.

Superintendent Hossain, however, tried to play it down when reached for a comment.
"It's nothing like that. It was a simple arrangement of badminton tournament and food festival. Doctors too need refreshment. A group of doctors and their family members arranged it on the grounds in front of the hospital's outdoor department. We attended as guests and it was stopped as soon as the local administration asked," he told Bangla Tribune
Hossain's reply on the concert and fireworks seen on social media video was, "All of it was stopped and the concert lasted for hardly 10 to 15 minutes."
According to him, the noise was not a problem for the over 250 patients at the hospital. "It was held on the grounds, which is quite far from the indoor department. There was no complaint from patients."
Asked whether as the hospital's superintendent he should have known of the event, Hossain said that "junior doctors" organised the event sponsored by a company and that "we stopped the concert."
Drug maker Health Care Pharmaceutical was the sponsor for the event.
In an effort to play it down, the hospital superintendent said that the fireworks were done by children. When he was told that the video on social media showed adults lighting firecrackers, he said, "It was not inside the hospital but on the grounds."
Brahmanbaria Civil Surgeon Md Shah Alam, however, said he was not aware that the organisers didn't seek clearance for the event at the hospital premises.
"They had plans to continue till midnight, but I stopped at 10.30pm," he said before adding, "I had initially refused to allow a concert, but let the singers do two numbers on request. But I stepped in and stopped after that."
According to Alam, he was told it was a food festival and badminton tournament. "The junior doctors arranged it. Even the superintendent was not aware."
Health Care Pharmaceutical they had nothing to do with the event other than sponsoring it.
"It was an event by the hospital. Our company only sponsored it," its Regional Sales Manager Rezaul Karim told local reporters. He added they were not aware whether the organiser secured permission for the event.
Police say no clearance was taken.
"Soon after an event at hospital premises was reported, police went to the venue and stopped it," said Brahmanbaria's Additional Superintendent of Police Muhammad Alamgir Hossain.

[Bangla Tribune's Brahmanbaria Correspondent Ujjal Chakraborty provided inputs for this report]