Inst of ophthalmology and hospital: Patients suffer as clashes halt services

All sorts of medical services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital remained suspended for over eight hours yesterday due to "tripartite clashes", causing immense suffering to patients.

"I asked all staffers, including doctors and nurses, to return to work, but as far as I know, none have joined, citing security concerns," Prof Khair Ahmed Choudhury, director of the hospital, told The Daily Star around 7:00pm.

Following two untoward incidents at the hospital over the last two days, hospital staffers, including doctors and nurses, began a work stoppage yesterday morning, citing security concerns.

However, emergency services continued until 11:00am.

Around 11:00am, a group of injured July protesters, who have been receiving treatment at the hospital, attacked staff members, leading to a tripartite clash involving other patients and their attendants, the director said.

"Some doctors and nurses were injured, and their residences also came under attack," he added.

Police and army personnel later arrived and brought the situation under control.

"But there is no safe environment to resume services," the director said during the afternoon.

On Monday, four victims injured in the July uprising attempted suicide by consuming poison during a meeting at the hospital. They were later treated at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.

On Tuesday, the hospital director was confined to his office for about an hour and a half due to infighting between two groups of the July protesters.

However, Akhter Hossain, a July protester, denied attacking hospital staff and claimed they were protesting irregularities at the hospital and the authorities' negligence in their treatment.

He said eight of their fellows were injured when police charged batons on them.

Asked about allegations of beating up hospital cooks, he denied the claim, saying the hospital authorities had failed to provide them with food since the afternoon.

The hospital director said the cook refused to come to the hospital due to security concerns.

Around 2:30pm, this correspondent found the entrance and exit gates of the hospital locked, with many people waiting outside while protests continued inside.

Many of the patients' attendants had to endure suffering.

Mousumi Akhter, one such attendant, said her mother underwent surgery yesterday morning, while her son was accompanying her mother at the hospital.

"I was bringing medicine and food for them, but I had to wait at the gate for about three hours before I was allowed in. Both my mother and son suffered a lot," she told this correspondent around 4:00pm.

Between 2:00pm and 3:30pm, this correspondent observed the injured July protesters continuing their protest inside the hospital, engaging in several chases and counter-chases with police.

A senior staff nurse, scheduled to join duty from 2:00pm, said she left the place after waiting for about an hour outside the gate.

Imaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, confirmed that several people were injured in the clash inside the hospital.