Dhaka: The High Court on Monday said calling a strike at hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres by doctors to justify their mistakes is unethical.

“To err is human. Doctors are not gods. Committing mistakes is not unethical. But calling a strike to justify the mistake is unethical,” it said.

A bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the observations while hearing a rule.

Mentioning that people go to three types of professionals - police, lawyer and doctor - when they are in any danger, the court said they will suffer if the professionalism is ruined by some miscreants.

Raifa Khan, 3, daughter of Rubel Khan, staff reporter of vernacular daily the Daily Samakal, died due to wrong treatment at Max Hospital in the port city of Chattogram on June 29.

On July 7, two physicians of the hospital were dismissed as two probe committees found their negligence in the treatment of the minor girl.

Doctors at private hospitals and clinics went on an indefinite strike on Sunday protesting the drive at different private clinics and hospitals by Rab following Raifa’s death.

However, they called off their strike on Monday.

“Though we’ve many renowned physicians and a rich healthcare system in the country, many people go abroad for treatment due to medical malpractices and in the process, a large amount of foreign currencies are spent,” the HC bench said.

The court came up with the observation while hearing a rule issued over the incident where 20 people lost their eyesight following surgeries at a health centre in Chuadanga on March 5.

The bench asked the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services to submit a report before it by July 16, specifying the reasons for losing the eyesight of 20 people.

The victims lost their vision after surgeries at the Impact Masudul Haque Memorial Community Health Centre (IMHMCHC) in Chuadanga on March 5, said a report published on Bangla daily Samakal on March 29.

Following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Amit Das Gupta, the HC on April 1 issued the rule asking the director and a physician of IMHMCHC in Chuadanga to explain why they should not be directed to give Tk 20 crore in compensation to 20 people who lost their eyesight.