MMCH interns call off strike, return to duties
Interns at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) yesterday called off their indefinite strike.
They returned to their duties after a 'fruitful' talks with the hospital authorities and leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) local chapter.
The interns went on strike on Saturday morning protesting alleged attack on their colleagues by the relatives of a patient on Friday evening.
Sources said, Divya Joyati Saha, 13, a class seven student of Baro Bazar area in the district town was admitted to the hospital's ward 14 on June 1 with bronco pneumonia.
But the relatives of the patient took him to a paying bed at ward 19 defying the instruction of the on-duty doctors, sources said.
The patient's condition was not well and at around 5:30pm, Divya died of his complications at ward 19.
After sometime, relatives of the patient with the help of outsiders swooped on the interns and assaulted a few of them which triggered the indefinite strike.
The interns under the banner of Interns Chikitshak Parishad (Ichip) yesterday met with Brig Gen Dr. Mohammad Shahjahan, director of MMCH at his office at noon.
Following an assurance of bringing the attackers to book and enhancing security for the interns soon by the hospital authorities they joined their duties at around 2pm yesterday, said Dr. Rony Roy, secretary of Ichip.
During the meeting, Dr. AFM Rafiqul Alam and Dr. Motiur Rahman Bhuiyan, president and secretary of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), its vice-presidents Dr. Mustafa Kamal and Dr. ANM Fazlul Haque Pathan, Ichip president Dr. Arman Hossain were also present.
Contacted, director of the hospital said it was a great relief for all, especially the patients that the interns had joined their work.
"Tightening of internal security for the interns will be our prime task. We will arrange more force after the end of the ongoing union parishad election", said the director.
“We have already directed the private security personnel deployed at the hospital to be more alert to avert such untoward incident in future", he added.
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