No patient can be denied treatment at any hospital: HC

The High Court today observed that no patient -- infected with Covid-19 or not -- can be denied treatment at any hospital of the country.

If any patient, deprived of treatment, dies at a hospital it is a criminal offence, the court said.

With this observation, the High Court directed the authorities concerned of the government to take appropriate legal action against those who are negligent in providing treatment to patients at hospitals.

In response to three separate writ petitions, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim ordered the authorities to ensure that no government or private hospital refuses treatment to any patient -- infected with Covid-19 or not -- across the country.

It asked the government to strictly enforce the directives issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on May 11 and 24 for ensuring treatment of patients at all the government and private hospitals.

The High Court directed the authorities concerned to inform the people through media how many beds of hospitals are vacant, when and how many beds will be vacant so that patients can easily get beds at the hospitals.

The court asked the health secretary and director general of DGHS to submit a report after complying with the directives to the court in 15 days.

Four Supreme Court lawyers -- AM Jamiul Hoque, MD Nazmul Huda, Md Mehdi Hassan and AKM Ehsanur Rahman -- collectively submitted writ petitions as a public interest litigation to the HC recently.