Published on 12:00 AM, January 25, 2016

Ctg docs call off strike on mayor's assurance

Many of the patients are staying on the floor of the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, hoping to receive treatment, some even waiting for their turn, patiently in the corridor, since the rush of patients in CMCH has increased rapidly since the doctors in Chittagong city has stopped providing all sorts of healthcare services in the private hospitals and diagnostic centres and refrained from private practices due to the two cases filed against three doctors on January 19 over negligence in treatment, where one of the patients died after a caesarean operation and a bandage was found inside the body of the other patient. The photos were taken yesterday at the cardiology ward-12 of CMCH. Photo: Star file
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Doctors in Chittagong city called off their work stoppage yesterday after Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin assured them of “clearing up misunderstandings between physicians and patients”.

They stopped working at private clinics, chambers and diagnostic centres in the port city on Wednesday in protest at the filing of two cases against three physicians over negligence in treatment. The protesters at the time pledged to continue the strike until the cases were withdrawn.

Five days into the movement, Md Mozibul Hoque Khan, president of Chittagong district unit of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), announced the withdrawal of the strike at a meeting at Chittagong Medical College. 

Meeting sources said the city mayor said he would work towards an understanding between the doctors and those who have filed the cases.

The diagnostic centres in the city were seen collecting samples for tests yesterday afternoon. Doctors at private clinics and chambers were also seeing patients.

Talking to The Daily Star, BMA's General Secretary Mohammad Sharif said doctors were not above the law but before the filing of a case, Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council should find out if negligence was at all there on the doctor's side, and then submit a report.

The mayor and Chittagong Press Club leaders assured doctors that the issue would be addressed, Mozibul said after the meeting.

“Considering public interest, we have suspended our programme and we think we will be able to come up with a solution,” he added.

At the meeting attended by several hundred doctors, Mayor Nasir said, “People sometimes vandalise valuables of clinics, taking the law in hand, which is not acceptable. They should consider that doctors face many hurdles while giving treatment.”

He also urged doctors to provide quality service to patients.

On January 10, Meherun Nesa, 22, niece of the expatriate welfare minister, died at a private clinic in Katalganj following a caesarean operation.

Her family filed a case against Shamima Siddiqua Rosy and Mahbubul Alam of the gynaecology department at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, saying their negligence in treatment caused the death. 

According to the other case, Assistant Registrar Rana Chowdhury of CMCH mistakenly left a bandage inside the body of Nur Absar during a recent surgery. 

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