Death of student: BMA plans fresh protests, Central Hospital settles dispute

The Bangladesh Medical Association or BMA has announced fresh protests against attacks on doctors although the Central Hospital has “compromised” with Dhaka University over the death of a student.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 May 2017, 03:50 PM
Updated : 28 May 2017, 03:50 PM

The university filed an application to withdraw the case they filed against the hospital.

BMA General Secretary Dr Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury Dulal told bdnews24.com that they decided to continue the protests as they want an end to the attacks on doctors.

“We have nothing to do with the Central Hospital or Dhaka University. We want safe workplace for all doctors.”

The BMA in a meeting on Sunday decided to go to court on June 4 seeking doctors’ security at workplaces.

Wearing black badges at workplaces from May 29 to Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, meetings with health, home and education ministers on Monday and holding a media briefing on Tuesday are some of the new protest programmes they announced on Sunday.

They will also suspend private health services for 24 hours from 6am on June 18.

The new plan was announced after the end of the seven-day programme to protest a case against doctors and vandalism at the Central Hospital over the death of Afia Jain Chaity, a student of zoology at Dhaka University.

Doctors said she was suffering from acute myeloid lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer, and admitted to the hospital in such a critical condition that they ‘could not even start her treatment’. Her friends said doctors ‘misdiagnosed’ her with dengue.

“They vandalised our hospital, but we have forgiven them. We have decided not to take the issue forward,” said MA Quasem, director of the Central Hospital, who was detained for a day as part of the case.

He said they had also issued a Tk2 million cheque in favour of the student’s father. “The university requested us to help the family and we obliged.”

Dr AM Amjad, acting proctor of Dhaka University, told bdnews24.com that they decided not to push the issue further “since there has been a compromise”.

“We filed an application on May 25 seeking to discontinue the case against the hospital.”

He, however, did not say how much the Central Hospital will give to the family as compensation. “We urged them to help the family as much as they can.”

The BMA, however, vowed to continue its protests until it secures an assurance of safe workplace for doctors.

“Doctors come under frequent attacks. We want an end to that,” BMA’s general secretary said.

The BMA plans to meet the prime minister on the issue on June 7. An extended meeting was also called for July 3 with the presidents and general secretaries of all BMA branches.