No actual data on unlicensed hospitals: DGHS tells HC

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has informed the High Court that it has no actual data on the total numbers of unlicensed hospitals in the country.

Deputy Attorney General Amit Dasgupta, on Wednesday, placed the statement of the DGHS before the bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman.

The DGHS also said that 12,543 hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country have applied for license renewal.

However, it takes 90 days to resolve a complaint against any hospital.

After a hearing on it, the court dropped the petition from the daily cause list.

Earlier on August 31, the High Court ordered the state to inform it about how many hospitals across the country have licences and whose licences are under process.

The court asked the prosecutor to submit a report by September 2 after contacting the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Ministry of Health.

Earlier on July 26, a writ petition was filed at the court seeking its directive to publish a list of all licensed private hospitals, diagnostic centres and hospitals dedicated for Covid-19 patients across the country.

Barrister Abdul Halim, on behalf of Supreme Court lawyer advocate Ishrat Hasan, filed the writ petition.

The health secretary, the home secretary and the director general of the DGHS and the managing director of Regent Hospital were made defendants in the writ petition.

Earlier on July 19, Barrister Abdul Halim, on behalf of Advocate Ishrat Hasan, sent a notice regarding the issue.