Patients left in anarchy

A patient leaving Birdem Hospital at 1:52pm yesterday. Doctors of the hospital went for an indefinite strike yesterday protesting an alleged attack on a colleague following the death of a patient on Sunday. Photo: Amran Hossain

Hundreds of patients at Birdem General Hospital went through immense sufferings as the doctors of the hospital began an indefinite strike protesting "assault on colleagues" by the relatives of a patient who died on Sunday night.
“I came to the hospital in the early morning with my husband from Narayanganj but found none to attend him. He is suffering from respiratory complications and back pain,” said Nazma Begum, who had to leave around 12:30pm as no doctors were available.
The husband Kabirul Islam, 65, regularly sees a doctor there and now she was worried over the next course of medicine.
“Why should the patients suffer for the hospital's internal problems?” Nazma posed a question which was actually the query of all the patients, even those seeking emergency medical services.
As this correspondent went to the emergency section at 10:30am, he found a patient with a bandage in one hand waiting at the entrance guarded by an Ansar member.
Asked why the patient is not being given emergency treatment, he said no doctors were available at the section to attend him due to the strike.
Authorities, however, claimed that emergency services were operating as usual.
"Patients at the emergency and those who already are admitted are being given the treatment. But only the outdoor services are closed," claimed Professor Nazmunnahar, director general of the hospital.
"An Ansar member was also hurt in the attack. He might have said that to you out of his grudge over that," she added.
 

Doctors of the hospital form a human chain at Shahbagh intersection yesterday. Photo: Amran Hossain

It all began with the death of Sirajul Islam, 57, who had long been suffering from diabetics, on Sunday night. Sirajul was a retired accountant of the National Press Club.
Doctors claimed that following the death of Sirajul at 8:00pm, the unruly relatives of the patient assaulted and injured Dr Anowar Hossain, Dr Kallyan Devnath and Dr Shamima Akter of Endocrinology department.
In a memorandum addressing the health minister, the doctors said, "One Masud, identifying himself as an Assistant Superintendent of Police of Dhaka Zone, and another person named Babu ... assaulted the doctors".
They have demanded judicial investigation into the incident and punishment of the perpetrators.
The doctors also formed a human chain at the Shahbagh intersection at 11:10am and stayed there for about 20 minutes, creating long tailbacks on all roads around the area.
Patient's relatives, however, denied the allegation of assault.
At a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday afternoon, Farhana Nasreen, daughter of the deceased, said they only had an argument over the doctors' negligence.
Sirajul, who had been admitted to the hospital on April 9 with stomach ailments, started suffering respiratory problems. They informed the doctors on duty around 4:00pm. However, it took more than half an hour for the doctors to respond       and they just put him on oxygen, she said.
“As the situation deteriorated after 6:00pm, we called the doctors but none came. After repeated calls, doctors decided to give him oxygen artificially. He died a few moments after that,” she said, adding that doctors at the incentive care unit (ICU) later told her that the patient should have been shifted to the ICU right after he started having problems in breathing.
She said ASP Masud and Babu are her cousins and they had not assaulted any doctor, including the female doctor.
A committee had been formed to look into the allegation of doctors' negligence, said the DG of Birdem.
Meanwhile, the protesting doctors will hold a press conference at 10:00am today to declare their next move, Dr Purabi Devnath of Birdem hospital told The Daily Star.