Probe into 2 hospital clashes

The health ministry has formed two five-member committees to look into the clashes between doctors and journalists at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) and Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital (SSMCH).

The ministry in a circular on Tuesday said Joint Secretary Md Anwar Hossain will lead both teams. Each panel has representatives of both the doctors and journalists.

Both committees have been asked to submit their reports within seven days, the circular said.

Patients have put up with untold misery with intern doctors going on strike since Monday, resulting in a near-collapse of health services at the two hospitals.

The team which will probe the incident at RMCH includes Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) President Mahmud Hasan, a representative of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), a deputy director of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the health ministry’s Deputy Secretary Humayun Kabir.

The interns at the RMCH are on strike following a clash on Sunday night with local reporters.

Ten journalists were injured in the clash in the hospital and their organisations have been protesting since then.

The RMCH authorities have already formed a committee to look into the incident.

The probe team for the SSMCH, better known as Mitford hospital, on the other hand, consists of BMA Secretary General Iqbal Arslan, a representative of the BFUJ, a DGHS deputy director, and the ministry’s Deputy Secretary Zillur Rahman Chowdhury.

The intern doctors at the hospital went on an indefinite strike from Monday, immediately after the private television channel, Ekushey TV, filed a case against them for allegedly assaulting its newsmen.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim on Monday warned of stern action against the striking medicos.