Patients at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital suffered on Tuesday as intern doctors observed a 24-hour work-abstention programme, protesting at alleged harassment by patients’ relatives following a confrontation over a patient’s death.
They went into the work-abstention, hours after two relatives of a patient were allegedly physically assaulted by intern doctors for protesting at alleged negligence that led to the patient’s death.
Hospital and police sources said that Juliara Begum, 50, wife of Alam Ali of Dharmahata village under the Charghat police station, was admitted to Ward No 36 of the RMCH on Sunday and died at the hospital on Monday evening.
After Juliara’s death, her son Sohel Ali, an army lance corporal, along with his younger brother, Joy Ali, approached the on-duty intern doctors and allegedly engaged in a confrontation, alleging negligence in treatment.
During the confrontation, Sohel began recording the incident on his mobile phone, which led to a scuffle as several intern doctors gathered, leaving him injured.
Family members alleged that Sohel was later confined in a room from about 7:30pm until midnight before he and his brother were handed over to police, while the body of their mother remained on the hospital floor.
A relative of the family claimed that senior doctors had referred the patient to the intensive care unit, but the process was delayed.
‘When my cousin protested, the interns beat him and his brother and handed them over to the police,’ he alleged.
Meanwhile, RMCH ward master SM Mossarraf Hossain filed a case with the Rajpara police station early Tuesday against Sohel, his brother and an unnamed person, accusing them of obstructing official duties and behaving aggressively towards intern doctors.
According to the case statement, Sohel and his brother were accused of aggressive behaviour towards intern doctors Tania Akter and Md Shibli and obstruction of official duties.
Contacted about the matter on Tuesday, Shibli said that he was not present in Ward No 36 on Monday night.
He said that he had faced a similar incident in Ward No 13 where a patient’s attendants behaved aggressively towards them and obstructed official duties by shouting and creating a disturbance.
Rajpara police officer-in-charge Abul Kalam Azad said that Joy Ali was sent to jail through a court on Tuesday morning, while Sohel Ali was handed over to the army authorities for action under military law.
Meanwhile, intern doctors formed a human chain in front of the hospital, protesting against the alleged ‘mob’ attack on them.
At the human chain organised under the banner of Intern Doctor Society of the RMCH, they said that incidents of harassment had been increasing, citing attacks on intern doctors in Ward No 13 on April 19 and in Ward No 36 on April 20.
The intern doctors also pointed to resource shortages, including lack of essential drugs and equipment, which they said often led to patient deaths but doctors were unfairly blamed.
They demanded enhanced security at the hospital, restrictions on the number of visitors per patient and improved supply of medical equipment.
Intern representative Tanvir Ahmed Toukir warned that they would extend the work abstention for an indefinite period if their demands for a safe working environment were not met.
Hospital spokesperson Dr Shankar Kumar Biswas said that a press conference would be held today to clarify the hospital’s position on the incident.
