As many as 12,543 hospitals and diagnostic centres across Bangladesh have applied for renewal of licences.
A report prepared by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has revealed the information.
Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta submitted the report before the High Court on Wednesday, in response to an earlier order by the court, issued on August 31.
The court had asked the state to submit a report containing the list of hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country that either has valid licence or at least has licence under process.
The DGHS report, however, states that the government cannot account for private hospitals that are running without licences.
Moreover, the DGHS also informed that they had published data listing Covid-19 dedicated hospitals and non-Covid-19 hospitals on their website.
Following the submission of the report, the High Court bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman dropped the writ from its cause list on Wednesday.
Advocate Ishrat Hasan confirmed the matter.
The writ petition was filed on July 26, seeking the High Court’s directive to publish a list of all licensed private hospitals, diagnostic centres and hospitals dedicated for Covid-19 patients across the country.
Barrister Abdul Halim, on behalf of Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Ishrat Hasan, filed the writ petition. Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta stood for the state.
The health secretary, the home secretary, the director general of the DGHS, and the managing director of the Regent Hospital were made respondents in the writ petition.
On July 19, Barrister Abdul Halim, on behalf of Advocate Ishrat Hasan, sent a notice regarding the issue.