The woes of patients in Salimullah Medical College Hospital had been at their worst yesterday like two other previous days before the infirmary resumed its operation Thursday evening.
Dr Md Abu Yousuf, deputy director of the hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday at 7pm that the employees joined their work.
Health services in emergency rooms and outdoor ward, surgical treatment, diagnostic tests in laboratory, and admission of new patients to the hospital came to a halt after its Class III and Class IV employees went on abstention from work centring a clash between them and the interns over an inaccurate blood test.
Hundreds of patients were deprived of the hospital’s outdoor services yesterday as the healthcare facility was declared closed for an indefinite period.
Throughout the day yesterday, a tense situation was prevailing on the hospital premises while a group of policemen were stationed out there for security arrangements.
Unlike workdays, the indoor wards of the medical institute were still, with only a handful of doctors and nurses doing their job.
Before the face-off between interns and blue-collar medical staff, the number of indoor patients was 684 while their number fell to 423 yesterday.
Seeking anonymity, an indoor patient said no food and medications were given to them for the past three days.
Mohammad Shamsudin, 85, came to hospital from Keraniganj yesterday morning with her daughter to see an ophthalmologist, but to no avail.
“Today I came here travelling by bus amid blockade and crossing river by boat, but failed to see the doctor even after waiting for hours,” he said.
Like Shamsuddin, many outdoor patients had to return home disappointed.
The academic council of the medical college declared the hospital closed sine die centring clash between interns and lower category of employees.
Though the authorities asked all interns to vacate their dormitories, the latter did not comply with the notification considering that it was an insult to them.
After a three-day deadlock, the lower category of employees withdrew their abstention from work and joined their duties through the mediation of the Health Directorate high-ups.
The 3rd and 4th Class employees were wooed by assuring them of proper investigation into the incident and punitive action against the accused.
Prof Dr Khandaker M Sefayetullah, director general of Health Services, Dr Subash Kumar Saha, additional director general, Prof Dr ABM Hannan, director, Medical Education, and Dr Julfikar Lenin, director (Hospital) Prime Minister’s Office, were present at the hospital yesterday evening.
Dr Dilip Kumar Dhar, principal of the medical college, said the probe team had been awarded three more days to investigate the incident properly.
The situation would be normal within a few hours, he hoped.