Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Monday observed that the Ministry of Health can not avoid the responsibility of any negligence of duties of the Directorate of Drug Administration in examining drugs and medical instruments.
The court passed this observation during hearing a rule issued over an incident of 20 people losing eyesight after surgeries at a hospital in Chuadanga on March 5 this year.
After concluding yesterday’s proceedings, the HC bench fixed today (Tuesday) for resuming the hearing and asked the Health Secretary to submit a statement over the incident in the court next week.
After holding surgeries at the Impact Masudul Haque Memorial Community Health Centre (MHMCHC) in Chuadanga in early March, 20 patients lost their eyesight.
During Monday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar cited a Health Ministry report in the HC saying that the drugs and surgical instruments including hand gloves, chemicals and eye-droppers which were used in the eye operations at MHMCHC in Chuadanga on March 5 had no license from the Directorate of Drug Administration.
During the proceedings, the HC bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader dealt with two separate expert reports submitted by the Health Ministry over the incident.
One of the reports was prepared by a six-member committee headed by Prof Dr Sania Tahmina, Director (diseases control) of the Department of Health Services, on July 15, saying that the incident of infection of the patents’ eyes during operations on March 5 was unintended and accidental and there was no negligence of duties on the part of the hospital.
Another report was prepared by a five-member committee headed by Md Mizanur Rahman, Additional Secretary (health services) of the Health Ministry, on May 13, saying that it seemed from the situation that their (patients) eyes were damaged after being affected with germs due to fault in operation and in the germ-free process.
After hearing a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Advocate Amit Das Gupta, the HC on April 1 issued a rule asking the Director and a physician of MHMCHC in Chuadanga to explain as to why they should not be directed to give Tk 20 crore in compensation to the 20 patients.
Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam appeared for the hospital.
The High Court (HC) on Monday observed that the Ministry of Health can not avoid the responsibility of any negligence of duties of the Directorate of Drug Administration in examining drugs and medical instruments.
The court passed this observation during hearing a rule issued over an incident of 20 people losing eyesight after surgeries at a hospital in Chuadanga on March 5 this year.
After concluding yesterday’s proceedings, the HC bench fixed today (Tuesday) for resuming the hearing and asked the Health Secretary to submit a statement over the incident in the court next week.
After holding surgeries at the Impact Masudul Haque Memorial Community Health Centre (MHMCHC) in Chuadanga in early March, 20 patients lost their eyesight.
During Monday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar cited a Health Ministry report in the HC saying that the drugs and surgical instruments including hand gloves, chemicals and eye-droppers which were used in the eye operations at MHMCHC in Chuadanga on March 5 had no license from the Directorate of Drug Administration.
During the proceedings, the HC bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader dealt with two separate expert reports submitted by the Health Ministry over the incident.
One of the reports was prepared by a six-member committee headed by Prof Dr Sania Tahmina, Director (diseases control) of the Department of Health Services, on July 15, saying that the incident of infection of the patents’ eyes during operations on March 5 was unintended and accidental and there was no negligence of duties on the part of the hospital.
Another report was prepared by a five-member committee headed by Md Mizanur Rahman, Additional Secretary (health services) of the Health Ministry, on May 13, saying that it seemed from the situation that their (patients) eyes were damaged after being affected with germs due to fault in operation and in the germ-free process.
After hearing a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Advocate Amit Das Gupta, the HC on April 1 issued a rule asking the Director and a physician of MHMCHC in Chuadanga to explain as to why they should not be directed to give Tk 20 crore in compensation to the 20 patients.
Barrister M Amir-Ul Islam appeared for the hospital.
