Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday directed the authorities concerned of the government to collect personal protective equipment (PPEs) and supply those to the doctors, nurses and staff of all hospitals and clinics across the
country for preventing spread of coronavirus.
The court directed the ministry of health to form a five-member committee immediately to prepare a list of health safety equipments namely personal protection equipment (PPEs), surgical mask, globs, gown, shoe cover, sanitizer and disinfecting medicine within 48 hours.
It also asked the ministry of finance to sanction necessary funds and assistance for purchasing those health safety equipments as and when the Ministry of Health will demand.
The court directed the directorate general of health services, directorate general of drug administration and central medicine store department to distribute all those health safety equipments immediately to all hospitals and clinics for the safety of doctors, nurses and staff in case of treatment of coronavirus.
The High Court Bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir passed the order and issued a rule after hearing on a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
In the rule the court wanted to know in four weeks as to why a direction should not be given upon the respondents to collect or procure or purchase necessary health safety equipment on an urgent basis to ensure safety of the doctors, nurses and staff during the treatment of the coronavirus.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioners.
During the hearing, Advocate Manzill Murshid told the court that most of the doctors, nurses and staff are facing equipment crisis. If the doctors and nurses are kept unprotected, they cannot provide services to the patients, he added.
