The High Court has directed the government to ensure supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all health service providers, including doctors of private hospitals and clinics across the country.
The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan issued the order after holding a virtual hearing on a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) on Monday.
Advocate Manzill Murshid joined the hearing on behalf of the writ while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state.
The court also ordered the chairman of the advisory committee for prevention of infectious diseases to submit a report before it in a week, on what steps the committee has taken in order to limit the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
On May 14, Advocate Sarwar Ahad Choudhury and Ekhlas Uddin Bhuiyan filed the writ petition on behalf of HRPB.
The writ, also seeking a rule, asked the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to take necessary steps to ensure all kinds of treatment for all patients by private hospitals and clinics. It also urged the High Court to direct the respondents to show why their failure to protect the people from the coronavirus pandemic should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The chairman of the national advisory committee to tackle COVID-19, secretary of the ministry of health, DG health, as well as the president and secretary of the Bangladesh Private Clinic Diagnostic Owners Association have been made respondents to the writ.
