Desk Report,
Strike in protest against attack on doctors and staff of Sher-e-Bangla Medical, patients suffer
Medical services are being disrupted due to a strike called by interns at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal to protest against the attack on doctors and staff. Doctors, interns and medical students formed a human chain on Monday afternoon to protest the attack. The human chain organized at the main gate of the hospital demanded the arrest of the attackers within 48 hours.
Strike in protest against attack on doctors and staff of Sher-e-Bangla Medical, patients suffer
When I visited the hospital this afternoon, it was seen that many admitted patients were leaving the hospital. Many were returning to the hospital to be admitted. Zakir Talukder (65) from Bakerganj came to this hospital to be admitted to the medicine department. He said, “I came to the hospital with a sick body. But when I heard that the strike was going on, I was returning home.” Nazmun Nahar from Pirojpur, a patient admitted to the same department, said that although a doctor came in the morning, no one came to provide any follow-up later.
Senior nurse in charge of Women’s Medicine Unit-3, Akhirunnesa, said, “We are facing a lot of problems due to the lack of an intern doctor. I don’t understand how to provide follow-up. Many patients are leaving. Although there was a crowd since morning to get discharged, some patients stayed because regular doctors came later.’
Nurse Akhirunnesa said that today there are 61 patients in this unit, where there were 98 yesterday, Sunday and 124 last Saturday. When we visited there, we saw that many beds were empty.
Hospital sources said that regular doctors provide the main treatment to the patients and intern doctors follow up on the patients after 24 hours. 150 intern doctors are working in this hospital. Patients are suffering because they have gone on strike since this morning.
Doctor in charge of Medicine Unit-3 Imran Hossain said, ‘The absence of intern doctors has affected the treatment. We regular doctors are seeing patients, writing prescriptions and doing follow-up all at once. This has increased the pressure a lot.’
Hospital director Brigadier General AKM Mashiul Munir said that services have been continued with regular doctors for the time being. However, if the attackers are not arrested quickly, the situation may deteriorate.
A visit to various wards of the hospital showed that while treatment in the outpatient department is relatively normal, follow-up and emergency treatment in the inpatient department are extremely disorganized. Although police have been deployed in each ward, patients and relatives are worried.
Incidentally, a movement has been going on in Barisal for 21 consecutive days as part of the health sector reform movement. Yesterday, when the protesters tried to enter the hospital with a protest march, the police prevented them. During this time, a doctor, two employees and a patient’s relative were beaten up by the protesters. In protest, the intern doctors went on strike from this morning. They set a deadline of arresting the guilty and creating a safe working environment within 24 hours. Otherwise, they announced to go on strike indefinitely. Meanwhile, the regular doctors of the hospital have given a 48-hour ultimatum to arrest the attackers. Otherwise, they have also announced to go on strike.
