The authorities of Salimullah Medical College Hospital widely known as Mitford Hospital yesterday declared the medical institute closed for an indefinite period following a clash between interns, students and Class IV medical staff.
The decision on closure came at an urgent meeting of the academic council of the college held at about 3pm.
The authorities also asked the students to vacate their dormitories by 8am yesterday as tensions ran high on the campus.
Dilip Kumar Dhar, principle of the college, told the Dhaka Tribune that they took the decision to close down the college till the situation improved.
Following the clash, the hospital authorities formed a five-member probe body to investigate the incident.
The clash between interns and staff first broke out Monday night around 1:30am centring physical test of a patient.
Intern Hassan Ali sent blood to the hospital lab for HBs test, but the technologist did HIV test instead, mindless of the doctor’s query.
At that time, the staff beat two interns while the later five staff members.
Later on Tuesday morning, the situation again turned violent when the college students staged demonstration, demanding punishment for the staff members who allegedly beat up the interns.
Dr Shahnewaz, director (admin) of DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune that they asked the hospital staff members to hold talks with the students, but the former refused to do it.
Interns and students alleged that the blue-collar men beat them up and they often did so.
They were locked into a clash with doctors and students even after committing fault with medical test.
According to hospital sources, such type of clash was off and on between the doctors and staff members and the mastermind behind it was Hazi Selim and Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, sources said.
Hazi Selim always supported the hospital staff while Mohiuddin doctors.
Patients admitted in the hospital experienced unbearable sufferings as staff did not join their work. No hospital staff in the general ward was found serving food to the patients. Even they threatened the nurses with action if they served the patients food.
Visiting the hospital yesterday, it was found that no patient had been served any food in morning and the evening.
Dr Abu Yousuf, deputy director of the hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune they had all arrangement but the staff abstained themselves from their duties. “We hope that the situation would be normal within Thursday,” he said.
The students had already started leaving their dormitories.
A tense situation had been prevailing in the area and additional forces deployed to avert further untoward situation.