Patient’s death for negligence on treatment is criminal offence: High Court
The High Courtroom (HC) on Mon said that people’s deaths because of negligence in providing treatment is a criminal offence and directed the authorities concerned to take legal action if patients are denied treatment.
Such deaths will be referred to as ‘death for negligence’ and ‘criminal offence’, the HC said.
A virtual bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order and directed medical Ministry and Directorate Standard of Health Offerings (DGHS) to create a monitoring cell to inspect the problem, UNB reports.
The HC passed the order after hearing five separate writ petitions filed over different incidents of patients’ death for not getting treatment in the united states during the coronavirus pandemic.
The court also sought report by June 30 over implementation of medical Ministry directive and information on the legal actions taken against persons or authorities who didn't follow the directions.
Health and Family Setting up Ministry and DGHS were asked to see about the quantity of Covid-19 and non-covid-19 patients who all received treatment from hostipal wards and clinics with more than 50 beds and their list.
The federal government was also directed to submit the reports which are given by the hostipal wards and clinics to medical Ministry and DGHS every 15 days.
A separate Intensive Care Product (ICU) hotline should be launched in order that ailing people can certainly contact ICU management and monitoring cell that will also restrict charging additional fee for treatment, the HC said.
The government must fix the retail price of oxygen cylinder and its refill, the HC added.
