The High Court has banned implanting expired stents in the bodies of heart patients in all hospitals, including the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD).
It also issued a ruling yesterday, asking why suppliers of expired stents, those who procure them and placing them in the patients’ bodies will not be declared illegal.
The health secretary, director general of the health directorate, police chief and the NICVD director were asked to respond to the ruling.
The ruling came after a television report caught the attention of the High Court bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman.
The bench said further order on this would be issued on March 1.
It also ordered to form an investigation committee headed by the chief of the health directorate and submit a report within a month.
On Wednesday, Channel 24 aired a report on the use of expired stents at the NICVD.
Lawyer Zayedi Hasan Khan read out the online version of the report published on the channel’s website.
He told reporters the court had imposed a ban on the use of expired stents until the ruling was resolved.
American Heart Association says a stent is a tiny wire mesh tube that props open an artery and is left there permanently.
When a coronary artery is narrowed by a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque, it can reduce blood flow, and stents help keep coronary arteries open and reduce the chance of a heart attack.