HC asks to suspend pension benefits of cancer hospital's director

The High Court has directed to inquiry into the irregularities in using the sophisticated equipment purchased for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH).

The Health Secretary and the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services have been asked to submit the report within 30 days after investigating the irregularities. 

At the same time, the court also asked to suspend all retirement pension benefits of recently retired director of the hospital Prof Dr Md Moarraf Hossen due to irregularities in the use of ICU equipment. 

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the suo-moto order taking into account a newspaper report on the sorry state of the ICU.

The court also issued a rule asking why the inactivity of hospital authorities should not be declared illegal in the case of prolonged abandonment of modern equipment purchased for the ICU.

The Secretary of Health, the Director General of DGHS and the newly retired director have been asked to respond to this rule.

A report about the hospital was published in an English national daily on Thursday. Bringing the report to the notice of the court on the same day, Supreme Court lawyer Manoj Kumar sought the court's necessary direction in this regard.