Interns at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital began a 24-hour work stoppage at 9:00am today, protesting what they described as “continuous harassment” and a growing “mob culture” within the hospital.
All 230 interns of the hospital have joined the work abstention, causing suffering for patients, while the authorities are facing challenges in managing the service disruption.
Tanvir Ahmed Toukir, a representative of the protesting intern doctors, said that over two consecutive days—Sunday and Monday—three of their colleagues were harassed by patients’ relatives.
On Sunday night, two male interns were harassed in Ward No. 13, and the following evening, a female intern was allegedly surrounded and humiliated in Ward No. 36, he said, adding that due to the lack of proper investigation and justice, they had been compelled to announce a work stoppage.
“We provide uninterrupted services for an average of 14 hours daily, yet our workplace safety continues to be neglected,” he said. He further demanded immediate measures to ensure a secure working environment, warning that if their demands were not met and those responsible were not brought to justice within 24 hours, they would move towards stricter action programmes.
As part of their programme, the interns staged a sit-in within the hospital premises in the morning. Additionally, they have announced a one-hour human chain and a press brief over the issue scheduled for 9:00am tomorrow.
RMCH spokesperson Dr Shankar K Biswas told The Daily Star that the authorities are trying its best to provide services through senior doctors. Meetings have already been held with the intern doctors to resolve the issue, but no final solution has yet been reached, and efforts are ongoing to normalise the situation.
Bakkar Ali from Bagha upazila in Rajshahi admitted his wife to Ward No. 31 last night, but her treatment has yet to begin. “I don’t know what has happened to the doctors. So far, they are yet to start any treatment. I heard the doctors are protesting, but if we do not receive treatment like this, it will create serious problems for us,” Bakkar said.
