Nat’l Medical College
Interns go on strike
Protest assault by patient’s relatives, demand security
Following an intern doctor’s assault by a patient’s relatives, the Interns of Dhaka National Medical College Hospital go on an indefinite strike protesting the assault and demanding their security in the hospital premises at Sutrapur in Old Dhaka yesterday.
The emergency service of the hospital, however, is going on, said the hospital director Azad.
Dr Maksudul Alam of the hospital’s medicine department said, “The incident occurred around 2:30am on Wednesday when a patient Moti Miah, 71, in a critical condition, was rushed to the hospital by his relatives.”
“Duty doctor Mamun asked them to shift the patient to Dhaka Medical College Hospital or Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University as the hospital was unable to treat the patient,” Dr Alam said.
Later, a scuffle took place between the doctor and the relatives who demanded immediate treatment of the patient citing his critical condition. At one stage, the attendants assaulted the doctor.
An intern doctor seeking anonymity said, “Though our fellow doctor was injured by the patient’s attendants, the hospital authority did not take any action in this regard.”
“So, we have decided to go on an indefinite strike and we demand investigation into the incident,” he added.
“We also want the hospital to adopt the system of issuing cards or passes for the attendants, so that the number of attendants per patient can be controlled,” the source said.
The interns also demanded installation of a permanent police camp within the hospital premises to ensure their security and removal of hospital director and assistant director, he added.
The permanent physicians, nurses and other hospital employees also expressed their solidarity with the interns.
“We are trying to resolve the issue through holding a meeting with the striking doctors and other staffs,” Azad said.
