The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to ensure emergency medical services to road accident victims at all public and private hospitals of the country.

It also ordered the health secretary to issue a gazette notification containing the guidelines for ensuring emergency medical services to road accident victims and protecting those who would take the victims to hospitals.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Farid Ahmed delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition jointly filed by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Saif Kamal, a social entrepreneur, seeking its directive over the matter.

In its verdict, the HC bench asked the government to issue the gazette notification within two months after receiving the copy of the verdict. It directed the authorities concerned to follow the rules, which was formulated for "emergency treatment  to road accident victims" until the formulation of any law in this regard.

The HC bench gave its observations in two parts. It asked to include its observations in the main rules formulated by the health and family affairs ministry over the issue.

Following the HC verdict, all private hospitals will be bound to provide treatment to road accident victims, barrister Rashna Imam, one of the counsels for the petitioners, said.  

Earlier, on February 10, 2016, after hearing the writ petition, the HC bench asked the Directorate General of Health Service to issue necessary guidelines asking authorities of hospitals, the police and others concerned to provide emer gency medical treatment to victims of traffic accidents. It also directed the directorate and the roads and bridges ministry to frame the guideline on the operation and management of emergency medical services.

The guidelines would need to detail how and where an accident victim would lodge complaint in case of denial of emergency treatment and the punishment for such denial, it mentioned.

The HC bench said the guideline would need to explain measures to be taken for the protection of people who would come help the victims. It also directed the authorities to create public awareness about the importance of being ‘good samaritans’.

The secretaries to the health ministry and the roads and bridges division were asked to report to the court in three months the steps taken in compliance with the order.

The HC bench came up with the interim order asking the government to explain why their failure to provide emergency medical services to people injured in traffic accidents and to protect good Samaritans at both public and private hospitals should not be declared illegal. After final hearing on the rule, the HC bench yesterday came up with the verdict.

Bangladesh is among those countries where road crashes and casualties continue to climb, posing a serious risk to public health.

According to WHO, road crashes claim lives of about 21,000 people and leave more injured every year in Bangladesh.