HC bars use of date expired stents

The High Court yesterday barred the use of stents past their sell-by date and issued a rule upon the government asking why the practice should not be declared illegal.

In a suomoto rule, it directed the Directorate General of Health Services director general to form a three-member committee to probe allegations of a hospital engaged in the practice and submit a report in a month. It fixed March 1 to pass further orders.

The direction came a day after Channel 24 broadcast a report stating that the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases had fitted a number of patients with stents past their best before dates in the last seven months.

Stents hold open narrowed down arteries and using scaffolds past their expiration date, as per health experts, pose a major risk.

Supreme Court lawyer Zahidy Hasan Khan and Deputy Attorney General Biswojit Roy placed the report before the HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman seeking necessary orders.