Interns at MMCH on strike

Interns at Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday night, demanding immediate arrest of the relatives of a female patient who attacked on their fellows.
Meanwhile, journalists held a rally in front of Mymensingh Press Club yesterday, protesting the attack on their fellows by the interns the same night.
Four newsmen of Hossain Shaheed of Channel 24, Kazi Mustafa Munna of Gazi TV, Ripon Goala of Channel 9 and Ataur Rahman Jewel of Ekushey TV came under attack around 10:00pm on Tuesday when they went to the hospital to cover a news over the death of the patient.
Hailing from Gulpukurpar area in the town, Aysha Khanam, an ovarian cancer patient, died on Tuesday night hours after she was admitted to the hospital as the doctors did not attend her properly, said the speakers at the rally, quoting the relatives of the deceased.
When the journalists reached the spot the unruly intern doctors asked them to leave the place.
As the newsmen did not respond, the doctors swooped on them. They also took away their cameras and damaged them, alleged the speakers.
They also demanded immediate punishment of the attackers of the journalists.
Kazi Yeasin, Ataul Karim Khokon, Mir Golam Mustafa, Saiful Islam, Amit Roy, Md. Mosharraf Hossain, Babul Hossain, Sheikh Mohiuddin Ahmed, Hossain Shaheed and Abu Saleh Musa, among others, addressed the rally.
Contacted, Dr Bikash Chandra Pal, secretary of Intern Doctors Association, refuted the allegation of attack on the journalists.
Cancer patient Aysha Khanam was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday night and then referred to Incentive Care Unit (ICU) as her condition deteriorated, he said.
As there was no vacant seat at the ICU, the patient's attendances locked in an altercation over the issue and in the mean time Aysha died.
As the death news spread, Maruf, son of Ayhsa and some others, attacked Dr Abdullah Mohammad, alleged Bikash.
Protesting the attack, some 200 interns at the hospital went for the strike, he said.
Dr Motiur Rahman Bhuiyan, secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Mymensingh unit, said punitive action would be taken against those responsible for the attack on the newsmen after investigating the matter.