Staff Reporter :
A lawyer of the Supreme Court on Tuesday sent a legal notice to the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to stop private practice by the government appointed doctors in 24 hours.
Advocate Abdus Sattar Palwan served the legal notice to the Health Secretary, Director General of Directorate General of Health Services, President of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council and President of Bangladesh Medical Association, saying that during office time private practice by the government employed doctors is not only professional misconduct, but also an offence in the eye of law.
Citing a report published in different newspapers and online news portals on January 28 and 29, the lawyer said in the legal notice that one Babul Hossain went to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital for emergency cardiac treatment at 11:30 am on January 29, but Dr Bhobani Prosad Roy, the hospital doctor, was in his personal diagnostic centre.
Bhobani Prosad Roy is the government appointed cardiac doctor for 20 lakh people of whole Lakshmipur district. Family members of patient Babul Hossain called him several times, but he refused to attend the Sadar Hospital, the lawyer said in the legal notice.
Advocate Palwan said in the legal notice that journalists informed the civil surgeon of Lakshmipur about the matter and after getting the phone call of the civil surgeon, Dr Bhabani Prosad came to the hospital, but by that time, Babul Hossain breathed his last.
The fact is not an isolated case, he said in the legal notice, adding that though it is one incident, it presents full scenario of the government employed doctors’ whims.
The lawyer said in the legal notice that he will take legal steps against the notice recipients if they don’t take action to stop private practice by the government appointed doctors in 24 hours.
