The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has submitted a compliance report to the High Court where it said that no complaints against any hospitals across the country were submitted regarding refusal of treatment to Covid-19 patients and those with other complications.
Following its earlier order, the DGHS submitted the report before the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim on Tuesday through the state lawyer.
Barrister Ehsanur Rahman, one of the writ petitioners confirmed the matter. The court also fixed July 6 to hold a hearing on the issue.
The report also mentioned that if any complaint against any government or private hospital is received that it has refused to provide treatment, strict action will be taken against the authorities concerned.
According to the state lawyer, the government has directed the authorities concerned to fix and display the retail and refilling prices of oxygen cylinders at outlets and shops so that the customers are not charged extra.
The attorney general's office is scheduled to receive a report from the health ministry to this effect and after receiving the report, the state lawyer will submit it to the High Court.
Earlier on June 16, the Supreme Court upheld three High Court directives while staying seven issued earlier over incidents of hospitals denying treatment to any potential patient amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Before that, the government had appealed to the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the High Court order asking officials concerned to ensure that no government or private hospital across the country has denied treatment to any patient, whether or not infected with Covid-19.
The three High Court directives that were upheld by the Supreme Court are; the secretary of the Health Services Division and director general of the DGHS have to submit a report by June 30 on whether the instructions given by the Health Ministry are being followed properly; necessary initiatives have to be taken by the authorities concerned for appropriate monitoring so that no private hospitals or clinics can charge excessive fees for ICU services for Covid-19 patients, and authorities concerned have to fix, control and monitor the price of oxygen cylinders in Bangladesh.
On June 15, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim, in response to five separate writ petitions, observed that no patient, regardless of whether they were infected with Covid-19 or not, could be deprived of treatment at any hospital, both government and private.
The court also ordered the DGHS to form a cell to monitor private hospitals and to keep people informed, through the daily Covid-19 briefing, of the situation of ICUs in hospitals.
The High Court also directed the government to take appropriate legal actions against those who were negligent in providing treatment to patients during this time of crisis.
