The High Court today asked for a report from the government on whether the private hospitals are providing 10 percent bed and treatment facilities to the poor and helpless patients at free of cost as per the relevant rules.

Health secretary and director general of directorate of health services have been asked to submit the report before the HC on May 8.

They will have to state in the report which of the private hospitals are providing 10 percent bed and treatment facilities to the poor and helpless patients at free of cost as per the Private Medical College Establishment and Operation Rules (Amendment) 2011 and which are not providing the facilities, Deputy Attorney Motaher Hossain Sazu told The Daily Star.

The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to take steps so that the private hospitals provide 10 percent bed and treatment facilities to the poor and helpless patients at free of cost as per the relevant law.

Health secretary and director general of directorate of health services, directors and chairmen of all private hospitals have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md KhairulAlam came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by filed by Supreme Court lawyer Md Abu Towhid Bhuiyan Prince seeking necessary order.

He submitted the petition as public interest litigation to the HC on February 20 saying that the private hospitals are supposed to provide 10 percent bed and treatment facilities to the poor and helpless patients at free of cost as per the relevant rules but the rules are not followed by the hospital authorities.