Writ filed to stop private practice of govt doctors

Staff Correspondent: A writ petition has been filed with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of inaction of the authorities concerned to completely stop private practice of government doctors during their office time.

Five Supreme Court lawyers-- Abdus Sattar Palwan, Salauddin Rigan, Sujat Mia, Aminul Haque and Kawsar Uddin Mondal-- collectively filed the writ petition to the concerned branch of the High Court on Monday.

In the petition, they prayed to the HC to direct the authorities to form an independent commission to formulate a guideline over the private practice of the government-appointed doctors and to conduct mobile court to stop irregularities at the government and private hospitals.

The petitioners also requested the court to issue a rule asking the respondents to explain why their inaction to stop private practice of government-appointed doctors during their office time should not be declared illegal and why they should not be directed to stop such practice.

Health secretary, director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), president of Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) and president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) have been made respondents to the rule.

The petitioners said in the petition that private practice during office time by government-employed doctors is not only professional misconduct but also an offence in the eye of the law.

Earlier on January 29, Supreme Court lawyer Abdus Sattar Palwan served a legal notice to the authorities concerned asking to stop private practice of the government-appointed doctors during their office time.


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 4, 2019/Mahidi/AI