-Work stoppage suspended with assurance of arrest of attackers within 24 hrs
-Case filed against 50 with Shahbagh Police Station over attacks on doctors
Doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) observed complete shutdown from morning to evening yesterday over the attack on them that was took place over the allegation of a student death. As a consequence, patients coming to various government hospitals in the country for treatment were in extreme sufferings.
Bangladesh University of Business Technology (BUBT) student Ahsanul Haque Dipto died at DMCH on Saturday morning. Later, the family members of the student and the students of BUBT alleged that he died due to the negligence of the doctors. Angered by this, the students attacked the doctors of the neurosurgery department. Three doctors were injured in the attack. The injured doctors are Imran, Mashrafe and Zubair.
On the same day, another injured came to DMCH for treatment in a clash between two groups from Sepahibagh area of Khilgaon. Then another group entered the emergency department of the hospital with machetes. At that time, the authorities arrested four people and handed them over to the army.
After the two incidents, the doctors took out a protest procession at the hospital at night and gave an ultimatum to arrest those responsible within 24 hours. Then yesterday morning, a 'complete shutdown' was announced in all hospitals across the country for an indefinite period until the security of the doctors was ensured, the culprits were arrested and the army was deployed.
Abdul Ahad, resident surgeon of the neurosurgery department of DMCH, made the announcement at a press conference at the administrative block of the hospital.
He said at that time, as you know, some unwanted incidents have taken place at DMCH since Saturday. In the meantime, three of our doctors were brought from the neurosurgery department to the administrative block director's room. In the midst of discussing the matter, outsiders came and vandalized the one-stop emergency center of the hospital. If this happens all the time, where is our security? How to treat patients? We have provided medical services to those injured in the quota reform movement. Where we are not safe, how can we provide treatment?
At that time, four demands were made. The demands are: 1. Arrest of the criminals immediately and exemplary punishment must be ensured. 2. Army and other security forces should be appointed in all upazila, district, sadar divisional hospitals across the country including DMCH. 3. The appointment of health police under the Department of Health to provide security to the doctors should be implemented. 4. Effective and time-befitting health protection law should be formulated and implemented very quickly.
Meanwhile, after the announcement of the 'complete shutdown', all the government hospitals in the country were virtually paralyzed. Doctors refrain from providing services. They stopped the emergency and outpatient medical services and went on a work stoppage. Patients and relatives who come to receive treatment are in extreme risk. Many serious patients continue to return without getting treatment in the hospital.
In this situation, a meeting was called with the doctors who were on strike at the administrative block of DMCH yesterday afternoon. Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum was present at the time. The doctors placed a four-point demand at the meeting. The health adviser also assured to accept the demands of the doctors. Later, the doctors suspended the work stoppage program after they were assured that the attackers would be arrested within 24 hours.
Although the work skip has been suspended, only emergency services will continue. Outpatient and routine services will be closed. This will continue for the next seven days. If the culprits are not arrested and the safety of doctors at the workplace is not ensured, the program will be held again. At the same time, two platoons of BGB have been deployed at DMCH to ensure the security of doctors.
In the meantime, a case has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station for assaulting and vandalizing on three doctors of the neurosurgery department of DMCH. Three students, including a teacher of BUBT, have been accused in the case. Besides, 40-50 people were made unidentified accused. The accused are BUBT teacher Shahriar Arnob, students Paljoy, Sahab Turj and Saimi Naz Shawon. Amir Hossain (53), an office assistant of DMCH, filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station yesterday.
According to the case statement, an unidentified patient was admitted to ward no 200 of DMCH on August 30 following a road accident under the supervision of Dr Kaniz Fatema Ishrat Jahan. The patient died at 7 am on Saturday. The body was sent to DMCH morgue for autopsy. Later, at 4pm on Saturday, 30-40 people surrounded Al Mashrafe, a doctor of the emergency operation theater of ward 201 of the neurosurgery department, and started punching him indiscriminately. At one stage, he took the doctor's apron and threw it on the floor and beat him with various things in the hospital.
The plaintiff further alleged that at that time I along with Imran Hossain went ahead and wanted to hear from unknown people why doctor Imran Hossain sir was being beaten. When I went to save him from unknown persons, one of them said that this is the doctor who was on duty yesterday. Then they pushed me down and started beating Dr Imran with the intention of killing him before he could understand anything and dragged me to the office room of the director of the hospital and locked everyone there.
ZH
