HC seeks list of coronavirus and non-coronavirus hospitals

The High Court today sought a list of coronavirus and non-coronavirus hospitals in the country.

The court also asked the authorities concerned of the government to inform them about the number of private hospitals with and without licence by September 2.

The bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman fixed September 2 for further hearing on the petition.

Rights organisation Children Charity Bangladesh Foundation (CCBF) submitted a writ petition as a public interest litigation on July 26 seeking necessary orders on the authorities against reported irregularities in some hospitals, including Regent Hospital.

The petition sought HC directives on authorities concerned to refund money to patients who were cheated by Regent Hospital in regard to Covid-19 test and treatment.

The organisation requested the court to order the authorities to give Tk 25,000 as interim relief to each victim of Regent Hospital.

The rights body prayed to the HC to ask health and home secretaries, director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and managing director of Regent Hospital to make a list of the persons who got fake reports from the hospital, and to publish a list of the names of the hospitals and diagnostic centres that have legal licence to conduct Covid-19 tests.

The petition also requested the court to direct the authorities to take measures to monitor activities of hospitals and diagnostic centres at upazila level.

Md Abdul Halim and Ishrat Hasan appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Amit Dasgupta represented the state.