The High Court has ordered authorities to appoint 117 doctors immediately for the vacant posts at hospitals in prison across the country.
The order by the bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came on Wednesday (Jan 29) after hearing a petition.
The court also told the director-general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to implement the order immediately.
In June last year, the court ordered the prison authorities to file details of 68 jails across the country, including their capacities, number of inmates and doctors at prison hospitals after an initial hearing of a plea filed by a Supreme Court lawyer.
The court also issued a rule asking why the inactiveness of the concerned authorities to ensure quality living standards for inmates as well as filling up vacant posts of prison doctors will not be declared illegal.
On Nov 5, Inspector General of Prisons filed a report with the court, which said that there are only 10 physicians for the total 68 prisons across the country, whereas 131 posts are now vacant.
The report also said prisons have the capacity to accommodate 40,664 prisoners, whereas the number of inmates stands at 86,998 till August 27 that year. The government appointed a total of 20 doctors on deputation for the jails last year; however, only four among them have joined.
On Nov 18, the court told the health ministry about the actions that were taken against the doctors who did not join their prison duty and asked the ministry to submit a report.
