DOCTORS and nurses at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) went on a sudden work abstention on Sunday for three hours as some doctors were assaulted by relatives of a patient who blamed wrong treatment for the death of the old man admitted with chest pain. The hospital director dismissed the allegation of wrong treatment, claiming that they did everything they could for the patient’s recovery. But as the work abstentions continues over 100 emergency patients were left unattended fighting between life and death. Hundreds others had to go to other city hospitals for emergency treatment. It was a chaotic situation and in our view DMCH should not stop treatment of patients under any pretext. Such situation is not however new as blame of attack on physicians on one side and blame of negligence of duty on the other remains the same.
Another media report said some physicians of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital at Bogra had beaten a patient attendant and his son for complaining neglect to attend an old women suffering from respiratory ailment. She was later discharged from the hospital at mid-night and died on the way home. Such incidents were also reported on earlier occasions. Yet another report said a physician in a Comilla hospital left a fetus in the mother’s womb and closed it during a delivery. A High Court Bench on Sunday issued a show cause on concerned physician, district medical authorities and others to explain why punitive actions should not be taken against the errant physicians.
We must say medical profession is highly sensitive that needs careful attention. Doctors are last resort of hope of patients and their families and any misunderstanding on both sides is unfortunate and unwarranted. Doctors are engaged in humanitarian services and any fight between them and patients’ relatives is least expected and highly repugnant. We fear there is a serious communication problem from both sides to be polite and patient that can only help avoid such clash and miseries that can result from it. Doctors must be allowed to work uninterrupted but there are also allegations that they come late and during duty hours often remain engaged in gossiping instead of properly taking care of seriously ill patients. Such thing often burst into chaos.
The DMCH is a huge 2600 bed hospital where over 1200 patients take outdoor help. But the number of physicians and nurses is too small and as reports said outsiders provide health support to permanent staff as patients relatives pay for them. We suggest internal discipline at all public hospitals including DMCH must be reviewed to improve the service quality of patients while more trained staff need to be employed to reduce pressure on existing staff overloaded with too many patients often lying on the floor.
