Doctors to provide only emergency services 'on condition'

The protesting doctors have announced that they would postpone their strike and work abstention programme for 24 hours "on condition".

Only the emergency departments will be open for services,  Abdul Ahad, resident surgeon of the Department of Neurosurgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), told reporters in the evening.

He said, "If the criminals who attacked the doctors are not arrested and tried in public within the next 24 hours, then the shutdown will resume from 8:00pm on Monday."

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DMCH doctors threaten strike after assault on colleague

Earlier today, doctors, interns, and medical students announced a shutdown for an indefinite period in all public and private hospitals, including upazila and district level hospitals across the country, protesting attacks on physicians.

However, he said the hospitals and medical centers and routine services across the country will remain closed for the next seven days.

"If the authorities accept our four-point demand, including the protection of doctors within this time, we will provide outdoor services and routine services again," he said.

Abdul Ahad said emergency services will be introduced only in those hospitals where the security of doctors will be ensured.

Meanwhile, emergency healthcare services at DMCH resumed after more than 10 hours of suspension due to doctors' strike and work abstention.

Brigadier General Md. Asaduzzaman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital confirmed the matter to reporters around 7:30pm.

"We have now opened emergency health services in DMCH. We have ensured adequate security for doctors here," he added.

In addition to the emergency department, emergency health services at ICU, CCU, HDU have also started, he said.

During a visit this evening at DMCH emergency gate, this correspondent found that the ticket counter of the emergency department was opened in the presence of the director. At that time, many members of the army and BGB were present.

Doctors of DMCH called the strike today after a group of people assaulted doctors at the emergency department allegedly blaming doctors' negligence for the death of a student.

They went on indefinite work abstention and 'complete shutdown' in all government and private hospitals of the country demanding the arrest of the people who attacked them. They have also put forward 4 demands.

Earlier, Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum held a meeting with the doctors at DMCH. 

Meanwhile, a case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station over the attack on the doctors at DMCH.

Amir Hossain, an office assistant of the hospital, filed the cases accusing four named and 50 unnamed people.According to the case statement, a teacher of the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) Shahrier Anrab has been named as the prime accused. The other named accused are Paljoy, Shihab Turja, and Saimi Naz Shayan, who identified them as BUBT students. 

Earlier, doctors, interns, and medical students announced a shutdown for an indefinite period in all public and private hospitals, including upazila and district level hospitals across the country, protesting attack on physicians and vandalism carried out by relatives of a patient at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Meanwhile, two separate probe bodies have been formed to look into the attack on doctors and vandalism, and the allegation of negligence in treatment.