Patuakhali clinics call off strike

Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), Diagnostic and Clinic Owners Association and Chemists and Druggists Association on Monday called off strike after a meeting with the local lawmaker and police administration in the town.

All the private clinics and diagnostic centres in the town went on a 72-hour work abstention on Sunday protesting attack on a private clinic and death threat to a doctor.

BMA, Diagnostic and Clinic Owners Association and Chemists and Druggists Association jointly called the strike.

Dr Md Monir Hossain, president of Diagnostic and Clinic Owners Association, came up with the announcement at a press conference at Patuakhali Press Club on Monday evening.

“We withdrew the strike as local lawmaker advocate Md Shahjahan Mia assured us to see the matter. Besides him, police assured us of taking immediate steps in this regard,” said Dr Monir.

On the night of September 7, a gang ransacked Central Hospital, a private clinic at Kazipara in the town, and gave death threat to Dr Moshiur Rahman, associate professor (Medicine) at Patuakhali General Hospital, who also does practice at the clinic.

Around 8:30pm, Shakil Hossain, 40, came to Dr Moshiur Rahman at his private chamber at Central Hospital with pain in liver. After giving primary treatment, the doctor referred the patient to Patuakhali General Hospital for better treatment.

Four to five people came to the hospital around 10:30pm the same night and looked for Dr Moshiur Rahman, who was not there that time. Then they uttered death threat to the doctor and ransacked furniture and glasses of the treatment facility.