Staff Reporter :
Emergency medical services in hospitals across Bangladesh, including the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), resumed operations on Monday afternoon. However, the outpatient departments remained closed.
Doctors announced plans to restart outdoor medical services on Tuesday while also demanding the formation of a new law to protect physicians and the establishment of specialised police forces for their safety.
Dr. Abdul Ahad, a senior doctor at DMCH’s Neurosurgery Department, outlined the protest plan at a press conference on Monday.
He called for the immediate arrest of remaining suspects involved in recent attacks on physicians and the draughting of legislation on health protection, including the creation of a specialised health police force.
As part of their program, protesting doctors will conduct a sit-in at their respective workplaces from 8 am to 10 am on Tuesday, followed by the resumption of outpatient services from 10 am to 1 pm. Emergency services, which were restored on Sunday evening, will continue to operate without interruption.
Indoor services and routine work will continue on a limited scale until further notice, Dr. Ahad said, adding that private chamber consultations will also remain available to minimise disruption to patient care.
Dr. Ahad strongly condemned the recent attacks on doctors, labelling them as part of a broader conspiracy by allies of the previous fascist regime aimed at destabilising the nation.
He urged the government to deploy security forces at all medical institutions, warning that without such measures, further attacks could occur.
This evening, a significant security presence was observed at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where personnel from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the police, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were stationed to protect the medical staff.
Hundreds of security forces were deployed in front of the hospital’s emergency department, reflecting the heightened concern for the safety of healthcare workers.
Bachchu Mia, the police outpost in-charge at DMCH, said, “The emergency services are running, but there is a shortage of doctors.”
He added that extensive security measures have been implemented, with a significant presence of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), army personnel, and police at the hospital to provide protection to the doctors.
It will be determined after 8 p.m. whether the outpatient department will reopen.
On August 31, a patient died at DMCH, after which agitated loved ones alleged negligence on the part of the doctors and assaulted three of them at the hospital premises, prompting the doctors to call a strike.
They withdrew their call for a ‘complete shutdown’ of medical services across the country upon assurances from the health adviser to the interim government of security and arrest of the individuals who manhandled the doctors.
