DMCH interns on 48hrs strike
DMCH interns on 48hrs strike
Hundreds of patients have been suffering immensely as interns and honorary doctors of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) went on a 48-hour work abstention since this noon protesting an assault on their fellow.
Meanwhile, the DMCH authorities filed a case this afternoon with Shahbagh Police Station against 10 to 12 attackers, including three students – Meraj, Ashik and Jewel -- of Shahidullah Haque Hall of Dhaka University (DU). They suspect that students of the hall, who vandalised the hospital’s emergency department on May 6 following scuffles between attendants of a patient and some intern doctors over using an elevator, were involved in the attack on doctors on Saturday.
The doctors have been demanding immediate arrest of those who launched an attack on honorary physician Mominul Islam in the capital's Chankharpul area last night.
Despite their strike, emergency and outdoor services of the hospital will remain open during the period, Dr Iqbal Arslan, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), told the reporters.
“We, along with senior BMA leaders will sit in an emergency meeting this evening to end this crisis,” Arsnal said.
“Situation will take a serious turn if such incidents are not stopped immediately,” he added.
According to our correspondent, at least 1000 interns and honorary physicians and 312 regular doctors are engaged in providing medical services at the 2,400-bed hospital.
Hundreds of patients, who are coming from different parts of the capital as well as across the country, have been suffering severely due to the strike.
The interns began the protest after Mominul was beaten up by miscreants at Chankharpul last night.
They went into a work abstention for one and a half hours since 12midnight demanding immediate arrest of the attackers.
On request from the authorities, the interns backed to work around 1:30am today.
While talking to The Daily Star, Beauty Begum, 40, said she came from Pagla of Narayanganj around 9:00am due to her acute ear pain but is not getting any treatment from the hospital.
“I am suffering from serious ear pain. I don’t know where will I go or what to do to get relief from the pain,” she was wailing standing in front of the entrance of outdoor department.
According to police, four or five physicians went to a restaurant at Chankharpul to have dinner last night.
On their way back to the hospital, the miscreants stopped them and asked whether they were doctors at the DMCH. Being sure of their identities, the attackers swooped on the physicians with hockey sticks, added the OC.
Mominul suffered injuries in his head and legs while his colleagues managed to escape the attack.