1,500 patients suffer for Ctg interns' strike

About 1,500 patients committed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) are suffering the most as the interns went on an indefinite strike yesterday demanding an allowance hike.

The interns at a rally also issued a two-day ultimatum and threatened to paralyse the hospital's outdoor and emergency departments if their demand was not met by April 7.

Intern Doctors Association (IDA), CMCH, enforced the strike demanding increased payment as per a declaration made by the prime minister on January 1 this year.

The association leaders said as per the prime minister's declaration, interns at different government hospitals are getting increased allowance of Tk 6,500 each with effect from July 1, 2005.

However, 287 interns at all 34 CMCH wards are yet to get the increased allowance and receiving the previous amount of Tk 5,500 each.

A large number of patients were denied pre-scheduled admissions yesterday and forced to leave the hospital without receiving treatment.

The strike forced on duty doctors, assistant registrars and senior medical officers remain busy in giving new admission, primary treatments and taking care of the admitted patients.

Dr Yunus Harun, assistant registrar of the surgery ward, told The Daily Star they are engaged in dressing, making list of medicines and keeping records of the patients' follow-ups when the critical patients badly need their service.

He said only five patients could be admitted to his ward until 12:00pm, while the number on a regular day raises over 50 by this time.

"We also had to cancel two major operations since the morning due to shortage of adequate hands in the ward," Dr Yunus added.

The patients of different wards came up with several complaints as regular checking and rounds were hampered seriously during the strike.

An elderly patient, Syed Salamat Ullah, 50, was groaning in severe pain at the surgery ward No. 26. Doctors operated on his left leg on Saturday and he was scheduled to have a dressing yesterday which did not happen until 1:00pm.