Dhaka – In a verdict, the High Court (HC) on Monday ordered hospitals and clinics authorities to release dead body of poor and marginalised people even if they fail to pay the due bills.“No hospital or clinics authorities can keep the dead body of poor and destitute people confined in the hospital if their family cannot pay the treatment bill of the hospital,” the HC bench comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan came up with the verdict after disposing of a writ petition.
The HC bench also directed the health secretary and director general of the Department of Health Services to create a fund for paying the treatment bill if any poor people die in the hospital or clinic.
The HC bench also asked the government to issue a circular including the first instruction without delay so that all licensed clinic and hospital of the country could be aware about the higher court directive.
The writ petition was filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) with the High Court in June 2012 following a report published in a Bangla daily on June 10, 2012 that said City Hospital in Dhaka did not hand over the body of a child to its parents as they could not pay the full bill of the treatment.
In its order, the HC bench yesterday directed the City Hospital authorities to give Tk 5,000 to Anzuman Mofidul Islam for burying the body of the child.
The City Hospital authority has to give TK 5,000 for its inhumanity and violation of human rights in failing to turn over the body to the family at that time.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the petitioner while Advocate Nabil Ahsan represented the City Hospital.
Later, Mazill Murshid told reporters that a poor people admitted his child at the City Hospital in 2012 and deposited TK 15,000. But, the new born child was died after few days at the hospital.
After the death of the child, the hospital authority asked the children family to pay TK 26,000 more. The hospital authority declined to hand over the dead body for failing to pay the due bill.
Later, the HRPB filed the writ petition with the HC following the media report over the issue. After disposing the petition, the HC bench yesterday came up with the order, Murshid added. – Staff Reporter
