Kathmandu: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Samikshya Baskota has raised serious concerns over the practice of interviewing patients undergoing treatment in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) and granting permission for such interviews.
Speaking during the emergency session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Baskota said that the health, privacy and infection control of patients receiving treatment must be given the highest priority.
“An ICU is a special and highly sensitive hospital unit designated for patients in critical conditions. In such units, the health, privacy and infection control of patients must be prioritized above everything else,” she said.
Baskota noted that even family members are allowed to visit patients only at designated times and after following necessary health and safety protocols.
However, she said an interview made public two days earlier had exposed serious concerns regarding the sensitivity of such situations.
She questioned whether interviewing a patient receiving treatment in an ICU is ethically and medically appropriate.
According to Baskota, the first priority after injured people are rescued and brought to a hospital should be to assess their health condition and provide necessary treatment. However, she said some media outlets have developed a tendency to immediately begin questioning patients.
A few days ago, YouTuber Suraj Singh Thakuri reportedly interviewed two injured workers who had been trapped inside a hydropower project tunnel following the Bhotekoshi flood. The injured workers were receiving treatment at a hospital at the time.
Baskota’s remarks have brought renewed attention to the need to protect the privacy, dignity and medical safety of critically ill patients, particularly during disaster and emergency situations.
