Doctors across Bangladesh begin work stoppage

Doctors at government hospitals across the country have launched a work stoppage programme to push for a five-point list of demands.

Most outdoor and indoor departments at hospitals are not offering service due to the programme, but some were still open.

Doctors at the emergency department of the National Institute of Neuro Sciences & Hospital in Dhaka usually see patients from 9am. On Wednesday, they started to see patients at 9:45am. It led to a crowd of patients at the outdoor department.

Shariful Islam, a patient, said: "I came at 9:15am and waited for half an hour. The doctor began seeing patients at 10am."

"[The doctors] came in the morning but didn't see any patients. Later, they all went to the director sir's room. After the director sir spoke to them, they began to see patients at the outdoor department," a staff member at the outdoor department said.

Doctors at the outdoor department of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, or NITOR, are providing services to patients.

A doctor at the institute said, on condition of anonymity: "We are continuing a protest programme, but the outdoor department is open. Actually, I'm not well informed about today's programme."

Doctors at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute are also seeing patients at the outdoor department.

The outdoor department at Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital, however, is closed. Patients thronged the department despite the closure. Many returned home when they heard that doctors were not seeing anybody.

Jarina Khatun, a domestic aide from Mohammadpur, had come to the surgery outdoor department.

"I came an hour ago, but there's no doctor."

Mojibur Rahman, suffering from piles, travelled to the hospital from Savar's Hemayetpur. However, he decided to return home as no doctors were available.

"I came yesterday and they said the doctors were available on Sundays and Wednesdays. Today I came and found the doctors had gone on a work stoppage.”

Morshed Alam, a staff member in the gynaecology department, told bdnews24.com: “Madam saw a few patients in the morning. Later, other sirs came and took her away. They told her that [doctors] were on strike.”

Doctors had locked the doors to different rooms in the outdoor department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The hospital’s Director Brig Gen Md Asaduzzaman did not wish to comment on the matter.

After holding a day-long programme on Tuesday, the work stoppage was announced at a press conference at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Doctors and medical students announced a protest programme to close indoor and outdoor departments in all hospitals across the country. However, ICU, CCU and emergency treatment service will be available during the protest, they said.

A rally for doctors and medical students has been scheduled at the Central Shaheed Minar on Wednesday. Medical students from Dhaka and elsewhere are likely to gather at the rally and bring out a long march to the health ministry.

MATS students have been protesting for the past few months with various demands. Doctors and medical students are also holding programmes in response. One of their demands is the ability to use the title “doctor”. A legal petition has been filed in court over the matter and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

FIVE KEY DEMANDS OF DOCTORS AND STUDENTS

• Only MBBS and BDS graduates should be allowed to use the title “doctor”. All continuing cases related to law and public health must be settled by Mar 12. There should be no confusing titles such as “diploma doctor”, which is not a title that exists anywhere in the world aside from Bangladesh and is not recognised by the WHO.

• Only MBBS and BDS graduates should be allowed to run a private practice. The government must issue a notice regarding this.

• A committee should be introduced to reform the Medical Assistant Course curriculum in seven working days and all substandard MATS institutions should be shut down through a special drive.

• The government must recruit enough doctors immediately to fill vacant posts in the healthcare sector and extend the age limit for the Bangladesh Civil Services, or BCS, medical recruitment to 34 years.

• A law must be enacted to protect doctors. Also, a specific pay scale should be introduced for doctors working in the private health sector.