The High Court today ruled that realising money in value added tax from the patients for medical services was illegal.

The court also declared illegal and unconstitutional the provision of Vat Act 1991 that allows doctors to take money from patients in vat in return for prescription or pathological tests.

Lawyers said the patients will not have to pay Vats any more for getting health service rather the doctors will have to pay Vats in this regard. The court delivered the verdict upon a writ petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers in February this year.

Lawyers Zulhas Uddin Ahmed, Abdul Bari and Golam Mostafa Laskar filed the writ petition as public interest litigation (HC) with the HC stating that the people are being deprived of getting treatment facilities for imposing Vat on the health services.

On February 15, the HC issued a rule upon the government to explain why the provision of the law for collecting vats from the citizens should not be declared unconstitutional. After hearing on the rule, the HC today delivered the verdict.

- Daily Star