A seven-day-old infant died this morning at the Neonatology Ward of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), allegedly due to the negligence of a ward maid.

The child's father, Belal Uddin, accused the maid of not refilling an oxygen flow metre after he refused to pay Tk 200, ultimately leading to his baby's death.

He has filed a complaint with the CMCH director, seeking justice.

However, hospital authorities said the infant died due to the severity of illness.

According to Belal, his newborn, who was suffering from pneumonia, was admitted to CMCH on March 9 after being referred from a hospital in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar.

"At around 10:00am today, my baby was behaving normally and playing," he told reporters.

"When the oxygen flow metre ran out, I asked the ward maid to refill it, but she demanded Tk 200."

"I am a poor day labourer. Where would I get the money?" he said, adding that when he refused to pay, the maid became angry and ignored his request.

She then ordered him and his wife to leave the ward, claiming she needed to clean the floor.

"After about an hour and a half, we were allowed back in -- only to find our baby dead," he said.

"If they had refilled the oxygen metre, my child would still be alive."

Dr Mohammed Shaheen, head of the CMCH Neonatology Ward, said that after receiving the complaint, he questioned the temporary ward maid, who admitted to demanding money from the baby's father.

"I informed the hospital director, and she was immediately expelled from the ward," he said.

However, the doctor said the baby's death was due to the severity of the illness rather than a lack of oxygen.

"The baby was receiving two litres of oxygen per hour, and in such cases, the oxygen level on the meter does not affect the supply," he added.

Despite this, he acknowledged that the ward maid should have refilled the oxygen meter and condemned her demand for money as "a heinous act."

CMCH Director Brig Gen Taslim Uddin said a three-member probe committee, led by Pediatrics Professor Mohammad Musa, has been formed to investigate the incident.

"The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven working days," he said.

When contacted, Dr Musa said he had not yet received the official letter regarding the probe.

"I can only comment after reviewing the details," he said.