Two nurses suspended over cooking incident in hospital operating theatre

Two nurses at Feni’s 250-bed General Hospital have been temporarily suspended following a shocking incident in which they were found cooking inside an operating theatre. The disciplinary measures were announced on Sunday through two separate orders issued by the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery.

The suspended staff are Kalpana Rani Mondal, the hospital’s Nursing Supervisor, and Rani Bala Haldar, a Senior Staff Nurse. Kalpana Rani hails from Barishal, while Rani Bala is from Bagerhat district.

The suspension orders were signed by the Director-General (additional charge) of the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery, alongside Md. Anwar Hossain Akand, Joint Secretary of the Health Services Division. The orders described the act of cooking on a gas stove inside the labour ward’s operating theatre as “extremely irresponsible and in direct violation of professional discipline.”

The incident gained public attention after a 1-minute 7-second video of the cooking surfaced on social media last Thursday. The clip showed the two nurses preparing “kholaja pitha”, a traditional winter rice cake, in the operating theatre. Other nurses were seen moving freely nearby, and the video also captured patients’ relatives walking around, while deliveries and other surgical procedures were ongoing in adjacent sections. Cooking utensils, pots, and pans were visible alongside the ingredients, underscoring the unprofessional nature of the act.

The orders emphasised that this conduct had seriously tarnished the image of the nursing profession and was entirely unacceptable. To ensure a fair investigation, both nurses were suspended from their government positions. During this period, however, they will continue to receive their statutory allowances.

Hospital authorities confirmed receipt of the suspension orders. Feni General Hospital’s Officer-in-Charge, Md. Saiful Islam, stated:
“We have received copies of the orders regarding the temporary suspension of the nursing supervisor and the senior staff nurse. Necessary measures will be taken in accordance with the directives, and the hospital administration is conducting its own inquiry.”

A three-member investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident. The committee is chaired by the hospital’s Assistant Director, Md. Jalal Hossain, with Residential Medical Officer Shoaib Imtiaz Niloy as member-secretary and Junior Consultant of Surgery, Md. Adnan Ahmed, as a member.

The incident has raised serious concerns about hygiene and safety practices in hospital operating theatres, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement of professional standards.

Key Details of the Incident