HC orders shutdown of 14 illegal hospitals, diagnostic centres in Mohammadpur

The High Court has ordered an immediate shutdown of 14 private hospitals and diagnostic centres that operate illegally in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur.

Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Ahmed Sohel issued the order with a rule following the hearing of a writ petition on Tuesday.

The hospitals and diagnostic centres are located on Humayun Road, Babar Road and Khilji Road.

BDM Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Sebika General Hospital, Janasheba Nursing Home and Diagnostic Centre, Life Care Nursing Home, Royal Multi-Specialist Hospital, Nabab Siraj-ud-Doulah Mental and Drug Addiction Hospital, Monomita Mental Hospital, Plasma Medical Service and Clinic, Shefa Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Islamia Mental Hospital, Crescent Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Makka-Madina General Hospital and Diagnostic, New Well Care Hospital and Bangladesh Trauma Hospital.

The High Court issued a rule asking why defendants’ failure and inactiveness to stop the operations of the clinics and hospitals without licences will not be declared illegal.

The judges also asked why there will not be any directive to adopt legal steps against those persons associated with the 14 outlets.

Health secretaries, the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services, the chairman of Bangladesh Medical Council, the Dhaka police commissioner, the chief executive officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, the chief of Mohammadpur Police Station and the executive magistrate of RAB have been asked to respond to the rule.

Advocate Manzil Morshed moved the writ petition and Deputy Attorney General Mokhlesur Rahman Khokon represented the state.

The Daily Banik Barta published a report on April 20 shedding light on 26 hospitals in Mohammadpur with 14 of them illegal. The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh attached the report and filed a writ petition with the High Court in public interest, Manzil told reporters.

The High Court has ordered the immediate shutdown of the health service centres after the primary hearing of the writ petition. The director general of DGHS and the executive magistrate of RAB have been asked to implement the order.

“Medical treatment is one of the fundamental rights of the people. People come to hospitals when they fall sick but they are supposed to have licences to run hospitals and provide health services. Otherwise, the owners are subjected to punishment. The administration remained inactive on the issue and we had to take the issue to court,” said Manzil.

According to the Medical Practice and Private Clinics and Laboratories (Regulation) Ordinance 1982, any hospital should have a minimum of 80 square feet of area available for one patient.

It has to ensure an air-conditioned operating theatre and an adequate number of doctors and nurses, necessary equipment to run a private hospital.

Most of the private clinics and hospitals, including BDM and Shebika Hospital, are providing health services without fulfilling the conditions needed for licences. Some of the clinics had never got their licences renewed leaving their business illegal.

The report also said the doctors from different government hospitals have established these hospitals under their ownership or sometimes using someone else’s identity. The BDM hospital on Humayun Road was established by seven doctors from Pongu Hospital who bring in patients from the government hospital, the newspaper wrote.