Rajshahi: Intern doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) have withdrawn their 24-hour work stoppage following assurances from the hospital authorities over their demands. The decision was announced at a press conference held today in the room of the emergency department in-charge.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the strike commenced at 9 am on Tuesday after an altercation involving the relatives of a deceased patient. The patient, Juliara Begum, aged 50, from Dhormohata village under Charghat upazila, passed away on Monday night while being treated in Ward 36 of the hospital. Her two sons claimed that negligence by doctors led to her death.
However, the intern doctors refuted the allegations of negligence, stating that the sons behaved aggressively after the incident. During the press conference, the intern doctors maintained that there was no negligence in the treatment provided to Juliara Begum. They explained that she required admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a serial was arranged for a bed, but no ICU bed was immediately available as other patients were already in the queue.
Furthermore, they clarified that at the time of the patient’s death, the on-duty intern doctor was attending to two other critically ill patients simultaneously. The intern doctors initiated the strike with four demands, including ensuring adequate security within the hospital and the presence of mid-level physicians in the wards. They expressed that the hospital administration has responded positively to their demands, which led to the withdrawal of the strike.
Meanwhile, RMCH spokesperson Dr. Shonkor K. Bishwash highlighted that the hospital continues to receive patients far beyond its capacity, with only 262 intern doctors available to provide services. He emphasized that the doctors are working under immense pressure and urged all concerned parties to cooperate to maintain smooth healthcare services at the hospital.