Writ petition seeks vaccination for expecting mothers on priority basis
A writ petition was filed with the High Court yesterday seeking its directive on the government to provide Covid-19 vaccine to expecting mothers on priority basis.
Four Supreme Court lawyers submitted the petition to the HC, saying it is the constitutional right of expecting mothers to receive vaccine, but this issue has not been included in the government's vaccine registration app -- Surokkha.
The lawyers said thousands of expecting mothers and children are dying due to Covid-19 infection.
Their deaths can be reduced if they are vaccinated on priority basis, he added.
The petitioners prayed to the HC to pass directives on health secretary, principal secretary at prime minister's office, cabinet secretary, directorate general of directorate general of health services and director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research to take necessary steps in this regard.
Lawyer Humayun Kabir Pallab told The Daily Star that the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim may hold a hearing on the petition on Monday.
On July 29, rights organisation Law and Life Foundation served a legal notice on the respondents, requesting it to take necessary steps in 24 hours to provide vaccine to expecting mothers on priority basis in order to protect their health.
Earlier on May 31 last year, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim, following a petition, directed the authorities concerned to conduct necessary tests including that of Covid-19 and provide treatments to expecting women on priority basis at all government and private hospitals.
The petition was filed after The Daily Star published a report with a photo of an expecting mother being denied treatment at some hospitals, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, on May 21 last year.
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