CMCH intern doctors go for indefinite work abstention protesting attack on fellows

The intern doctors at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) went for indefinite work abstention since this morning, protesting the attack on the leaders of the Intern Doctors' Association (IDA) of CMCH last night.

Osman Gani, convener of IDA, CMCH, and Sunny Hasnain Prantik, a fifth year student of CMCH, were injured as rival BCL members of CMC allegedly launched an attack on them with sticks and bottle of soft drinks at Gulzar Intersection in the port city around 11.30pm last night, reports our staff correspondent quoting the protesters.

The attack was carried out when the duo was going to Chawkbazar Police Station to file a case over another attack on them at CMC main hostel on the evening of the same day, said M A Auwal Rafi, joint convener of IDA CMCH and also vice president of CMC Central Students Union.

"Both the injured leaders were admitted in CMCH immediately after the attack," he said, adding, "In protest, the IDA started work abstention since this morning."

Asked who the attackers were, he said they were "miscreants in the guise of medical students who want to create unrest on the campus".

He vowed to continue the work abstention programme until the authorities take punitive action against the culprits.

Sources said two groups of BCL activists locked into a scuffle at CMC main hostel last evening. Following the incident, the CMC authorities vacated the hostel.

Later, a faction was going to file a case with Chawkbazar Police Station against the members of the other, while the other faction carried out an attack on them, leaving Osman and Prantik injured.

Contacted, CMCH director Brig Gen SM Humayun Kabir said he called a meeting in the evening with the head of all the departments of CMC where the leaders of the rival student groups will also attend.

"I think, a solution will come up in the meeting and the IDA would call off their programme," he opined.

About the suffering of patients in CMCH due to the intern doctors' work abstention, he said the abstention "put no impact" on healthcare in the hospital as all the government doctors as well as trainee doctors in different postgraduate courses were on duty.

"Besides, the intern doctors of the previous batch are still in the hospital and they are performing their duties," he informed.