35 injured as staff, trainee nurses clash at MMCH
At least 35 people were injured as trainee nurses and employees of Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) yesterday locked in a series of clashes at the hospital.
Among the injured, 30 are students of Mymensingh Nursing College (MNC) and the rest five employees.
Of the injured students, A K M F Al Manna, Runa Akhtar, Zakia Akhtar, Khadiza Akhtar, Abul Hasnat, Rokeya, Shanta, Tahmina Sadeka, Moslema Khatun, Mukul Hossain, Enamul Haque Masum, Khadiza Akhtar, Abul Hasnat, Rafia, Luna Akhtar, Bayezid Hossain, Sajal Mridha, Farzin Rahman Toma, Kulsum Akhtar, Dinara Rahman Shashi, Kamrun Nahar and Zohirul Islam were admitted to MMCH.
Three employees identified as Meherul, Khaleque Sarder and Rahim Mollah were also being treated at the hospital, sources said.
According to sources, a group of trainee nurses went to hospital director Brigadier General Dr Md Shahjahan yesterday morning protesting cancellation of their sick room facilities.
Tofazzal Hossain, a first year student and Zahidul Hasan, a third year student of MNC were admitted to MMCH Sunday night and yesterday morning.
As the students found the sick rooms locked, the other staff told them that the rooms were allocated to indoor medical officers recently.
When the students went to the director's room to ask him about the reasons for cancellation of the sick rooms, a group of fourth class employees of the hospital went to the spot and asked the students to give them easy passage.
As the students refused to leave the place, an altercation began and at one stage an employee pushed a female student and pulled her scarf triggering a clash, said Abul Hasnat, a student.
The employees later swooped on the students and beat them up with sticks indiscriminately, injuring at least 30 students, he said.
The clash continued for about an hour and it was led by secretary of fourth class employees' association at MMCH Meherul and ward boys Sultan, Joynal and Aftab Sarder, sources said.
The employees with the help of a few outsiders beat up the students again in presence of police, alleged the students.
As the employees in several groups were threatening to attack the students even an hour after the incident, police charged baton and dispersed them, sources said.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali police station Golam Sarwar said additional police force were deployed at the hospital to avert further untoward incident.
Zohura Khanam, president of Bangladesh Diploma Nurses Association (BDNA) told this correspondent that it is a matter of shame that the innocent students were beaten up by the fourth class employees in front of the office of the hospital director.
The director even did not come out of his chamber during the hour-long attack carried out with help of outsiders, she said.
We shall go for tougher action if the attackers are not brought to book immediately, said Nazma Khatun, secretary of BDNA.
Director of the hospital Brigadier General Dr Md Shahjahan held an emergency meeting with hospital authorities, BMA leaders and BDNA leaders at his office at noon but it ended without any decision.
Contacted, Dr Shahjahan alleged that the agitating students started ransacking the hospital. "They did not come to me in proper way and they are not directly linked to the hospital", he said.
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