The High Court today directed the government to suspend the retirement facilities of the outgoing director of National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) Prof Dr Md Moarraf Hossen for negligence in preserving and protecting the equipment including of the ICU at the hospital.

Prof Dr Md Moarraf Hossen has gone on leave preparatory retirement (LPR) last Saturday.

Issuing a suo moto (voluntary) rule, the HC today ordered the health secretary and director general of Directorate of Health Services (DGHS) to form a committee to conduct an enquiry into the allegations of negligence of NICRH authorities in purchasing and preserving the treatment equipment for the hospital.

The committee has been asked to submit the probe report before HC in 30 days. 

In the rule, the court asked the authorities concerned of the government to explain why the reported negligence of the NICRH authorities should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order and issued the rule on the suo moto move following a report published on The Daily Star today under a headline 'ICU on sickbed'.

SC lawyer Barrister Monoj Kumar Bhoumik placed the report before the HC bench seeking necessary order.

The report on The Daily Star found several cases of irregularities during an investigation at the country's lone specialised public hospital for cancer treatment. 

READ the full report here: ICU on sickbed

The NICRH, situated in Mohakhali, is the go-to place for patients in the low-income bracket. According to an International Agency for Research on Cancer report released last year, about 1.08 lakh people die of cancer while 1.5 lakh people develop the disease every year in Bangladesh.