Intern doctors' strike at SBMCH: Medicare services collapsed, probe body formed

Wildcat strike of intern doctors has collapsed medicare services at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital ( SBMCH) from Saturday noon protesting alleged assault of intern doctors by the college canteen staff and son of AL ward-councilor.
Students of the SBMC are also boycotting classes expressing their solidarity with the intern doctors.
Medicare of the average 1,300 indoor patients at SBMCH mainly depends on the duty of 240 intern doctors due to shortage of regular physicians. Authority formed a 3-member probe committee in this connection.
Dr. Abu Talib Md. Abdullah Maruf, president of BCL-led SBMCH intern doctors association, alleged that he along with some intern doctors and BCL leaders went to SBMCH staff canteen adjacent to emergency ward at about 2:30 am early Friday. At that time Sabuj, canteen manager and son of canteen lessee AL leader BCC ward -11 commissioner Mojibor Rahman, misbehaved and uttered bad wards against them.
When we protested the misbehave of the canteen staffs, they assaulted me, Anisur Rahman, 5th year student and former general secretary of BCL-led student welfare association and beaten Dr. Abdur Rahman Rizvi, a leader of BCL-led intern doctors association, Maruf claimed. Sabuj also threatened to kill me and BCL SBMC- unit president Harunor Rashid, Maruf further alleged. Ziaur Rahman Zia, former city BCL convener and brother of AL councilor
Mojibor then rushed to the spot on Friday morning and apologies for misbehave of Sabuj.
However Sabuj denied to apologies before the inter doctors and BCL activists and engaged in scuffle with his uncle Zia, witnesses said.
Mizanur Rahman, witness canteen staff, claimed the intern doctors assaulted them and beaten Sabuj, manager and son of the owner of the canteen, when they demanded arrear bills from the inter doctors.
The intern doctors association submitting a letter to the hospital director on Saturday demanded punishment of the assaulters, immediate starting of separate canteens for the doctors, students, staffs and visitors.
As our demands were not assured to be fulfilled, so we started strike from Saturday noon and abstained from hospital duties except emergency ward, Maruf told.
Harunor Rashid, SBMC-unit president said, they decided to boycott classes expressing solidarity with the legitimate demands of the intern doctors.
Mojibor Rahman, AL backed councilor of BCC ward-11 and lessee of the canteen, denying allegation of assaulting intern doctors said there was some misunderstanding over realising huge arrear bills from the intern doctors and it was minimized later.
Dr. Qamrul Hasan Selim, acting director SBMCH, said he received the letter of the intern doctors and already formed a 3-member probe committee led by Dr. Shahidul Islam, deputy director of the hospital to investigate the incident and asking to submit report within next 24-hour.
Action would be taken according to the report of the probe committee, the acting director of the hospital requesting the intern doctors to join in the duty considering sufferings of the patients, told.