Staff Reporter :
A writ petition was filed on Sunday with the High Court seeking its directives upon the respondents to take immediate action to ensure the increase of the number of beds in Covid-19 designated hospitals, whether public or private.
It also sought direction from the HC to include more private hospitals on requisition for treating covid-19 patients under the supervision of the government, and the private hospitals having capacity to treat covid-19 patients shall not refuse to admit and give treatment to those patients unable to get admission in the public hospitals across the country, in failure to do the so, appropriate legal action is to be taken against them.
Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a leading rights
organization, filed the petition, said advocate Syeda Nasrin adding that the petition would be heard soon.
Health secretary, director general of the directorate general of health services (DGHS) and home secretary have been made respondents in the petition.
The petitioner has also prayed to the High Court to pass directions to the respondents to supply adequate oxygen as well as necessary medications and instruments such as High Flow Canola is available in every covid-19 designated hospital in every district, and to provide Covid-19 patients with appropriate care, hygiene and healthy food.
It also prayed for directions to prepare special unit care for the pregnant women infected with covid-19 on priority basis, and to keep the treatment cost of the covid-19 patients within their capacity and for the low income group, disadvantaged and backward sections of the people.
“It is pertinent to mention that outside Dhaka, rarely a private hospital or clinic is found taking care of covid-19 patients though many of them have the capacity to do so. Now public hospitals are running out of bed, ICU facility and proper accommodation due to excessive number of the patients,” read the writ petition.
“But the government is failing to regulate the private hospitals and clinics. The government can add more private hospitals and clinics on requisition for covid-19 patients and can also take special care of the pregnant women who really need special arrangement during this situation. Under the circumstances, we are filling this writ petition,” also read the petition.
The petitioner also sought a rule calling upon the respondents to show cause as to why the impugned inaction and failure of the respondents to ensure proper treatment, care and support for the patients affected by Covid-19 and to secure sufficient number of beds in public and private hospitals for Covid-19 patients across the country shall not be declared illegal.
In the rule, the petitioner also wanted to know as to why the respondents shall not be directed to take immediate action to ensure that the number of beds in Covid-19 designated hospitals, whether public or private, have been increased and include more private hospitals on requisition for treating covid-19 patients under the supervision of the State.
