Death due to lack of treatment

The strike called by doctors in Rajshahi over the sentencing of a fellow practitoner charged with negligence of duty had left thousands of patients without any medical care in both public and private medical institutions since Thursday. Ironically, the private clinic owner has been jailed on charges of death of a patient. And it was not the first instance of negligence in his clinic. Now, regrettably, another patient has lost his life because of lack of treatment due to the strike. We hold the striking doctors solely responsible for the death
We find the situation abhorrent. There are two issues involved here. First, the action of the doctors is in defiance of the order of the court that sent him to jail pending trial. This amounts to contempt of court, and sets precedence for such bodies which may use their associations to browbeat the system. If they felt aggrieved by the order it is to the court they must seek redress instead of holding the sick hostage with illegal demands. Secondly, doctors are life savers and their strike goes against Hippocratic Oath. On both counts they are culpable.
We find the lack of professionalism being displayed by these doctors totally unacceptable. The message being given out by them is that they are above law and cannot be held accountable for any malpractice. The fact is that for too long patients have been deprived of proper and timely treatment in medical institutions and no quarter should be given to those espousing to be caregivers who hold the nation hostage with threats of work stoppage.