HC seeks RMCH report on journo treatment

The High Court today ordered the authorities of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) to submit a report before it on what action has been taken against its interns, who refused to treat a journalist.

The director general of Directorate of the Health and director of RMCH will have to submit the report before the HC by May 25.

The court issued a suo moto rule upon the RMCH authorities to explain why they should not be directed to take action against the interns.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul-Haque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain came up with the order and rule following a report published in The Daily Star today over the incident.

The report said an injured photojournalist was refused treatment at RMCH Tuesday afternoon after some unidentified interns told his wife that he would not be treated there.

“No journalists will be treated at this hospital. You may go to Dhaka or somewhere else,” Gulbar Ali Jewel, a photojournalist of local Daily Natun Probhat, quoted an intern as telling his wife Fawzia Shahnaz.

Jewel, who also works for bdnews24 and Daily Jay Jay Din, broke his right leg on February 2 in an attack by Rajshahi University students.

He underwent surgery at RMCH on February 3 and doctors advised him a second surgery in three months' time to remove the steel rods inserted in his leg.