Patients of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday suffered following a clash between some students of Dhaka University (DU) and interns of DMCH. The clash led to disruption in normal services to the patients for about four hours on the day causing untold miseries of those who were at the DMCH for treatment. Some newsmen, who gathered at the DMCH to cover the clash, were also assaulted by the interns.
Services at the Emergency and Causality Department were also stopped for sometime. The services, however, resumed after four hours at the intervention of the administration.
The doctors closed all the gates including emergency gate of the hospital and stopped services. They obstructed the patients and the visitors to enter the hospital. They also barred ambulance from entering DMCH during the strike following the clash. Many patients were
seen waiting outside the hospital who gathered at the DMCH from different parts of the country.
Shafiqul Islam, an attendant of a patient, told The New Nation that his brother received injuries in his head in an accident in Old Dhaka. His condition is very critical, but he failed to draw attention of the doctors to attend to his brother.
Ratul Khandoker, a resident of city’s Mohammadpur, said, ” Wild cat strike by doctors is not acceptable. Patients should not become hostage in the hands of doctors centering trifling incidents. The practice of throwing sudden strike should be stopped.”
DMCH Director Brigadier General Mustafizur Rahman talking to the media said the services of DMCH resumed following a meeting with the representatives of the doctors and the Dhaka University.
The troubles originated at about 11:30am over use of an elevator. Some interns manhandled DU students Shuvo and Samrat as they forcibly entered a lift meant only for hospital staff.
On receipt of information about the incident nearly 70 to 80 DU students equipped with sticks and iron rods entered the hospital and attacked some doctors at around 11:45am, said Inspector Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police camp.
When some journalists went there to cover the incident, the interns also attacked them. The trainee doctors also vandalised a camera of the private television channel ATN News. Himel, photojournalist of the channel was injured in the attack. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to avert any further untoward incident.
