HC orders all hospitals, clinics to provide first aid to accident victims

The High Court on Thursday directed the Ministry of Health to issue a circular instructing all government and private hospitals and clinics to provide immediate first aid to anyone injured in any accident.

The order came from a bench of Justice Md Habibul Gani and Justice Syed Mohammad Tajrul Hossain after disposing of a writ petition filed in 2018 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The petition was filed following the deaths of businessman Md Ibrahim and Helena Begum in separate incidents in Dhaka in January 2018.

The court also directed the government to amend the 2018 policy on emergency healthcare for road accident victims and frame rules to ensure nearby hospitals and clinics provide emergency treatment to victims of all types of accidents.

Senior lawyer Manzil Morshed, who represented the petitioners, said the existing policy has not been properly implemented, particularly by private hospitals, and does not cover accidents other than road crashes.

On compensation, the court observed that Salahuddin Hospital had fulfilled its duty to provide medical care and said any claim for damages should be pursued under the relevant laws following an investigation.

According to the writ petition, Ibrahim was allegedly denied primary treatment at a nearby private hospital after being stabbed by robbers and died before reaching Dhaka Medical College Hospital. In a separate incident on the same day, Helena Begum was killed after being dragged by a vehicle during a robbery in Dhanmondi.