Dhaka, Jan 29 – A legal notice served on Tuesday asking the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to completely stop private practice of the government appointed doctors in 24 hours.
Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Abdus Sattar Palwan sent the legal notice to the health secretary, director general of Directorate General of Health Services, president of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council and president of Bangladesh Medical Association.
In its notice Palwan alleged that during office time private practice by the government employed doctors is not only professional misconduct, but also an offence in the eye of law.
A writ petition will file before the High Court seeking its directive over the matter, if the notice recipients would not take steps to stop private practice of the government appointed doctors in 24 hours, according to the notice.
Citing reports published in online portal, the lawyer in the legal notice said that one Babul Hossain went to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital for emergency cardiac treatment at 11:30am on January 29, but Dr Bhobani Prosad Roy, the doctor concerned of the hospital, was in his personal diagnostic centre.
Bhobani Prosad Roy is only government appointed cardiac doctor for 20 lakh people of whole Lakshmipur district. Family members of patient Babul Hossain called him several times, but he denied to come in Sadar hospital, he said in the legal notice.
Advocate Palwan said in the legal notice that journalists informed the civil surgeon of Lakshmipur about the matter and after getting the phone call of the civil surgeon, Dr Bhabani Prosad came to the hospital, but in the meantime, the valuable life of Babul Hossain lost.
The fact is not an isolated happening, he said in the legal notice, adding that though it is one incident it presents full scenario of the government employed doctors’ willfulness. – Staff Reporter
