After receiving assurance from the concerned authorities, the private ambulance owners-drivers have called off their strike on Sunday evening.
Dr Mujibul Haque, president of Bangladesh Medical Association in Chittagong unit, said: "The agitating ambulance owners and drivers have withdrawn the strike from the evening after holding a meeting with us.”
The meeting was held between the leaders of the Chittagong Halka Motorjan Ambulance Malik-Sramik Somonnay Committee, BMA leader and city Awami League (AL) general secretary AJM Nasir Uddin around 2:30pm at the office of principal of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
CMCH Principal Dr Selim Md Jahangir, BMA vice-president Dr Md Mahbub Haque, Ambulance Owners Association acting President Anwar Hossain Liton, Halka Motorjan Ambulance Malik-Sramik Somonnay Committee’s President Shah Alam Firozi and other officials of CMCH were, among others, present at the meeting.
Halka Motorjan Ambulance Malik-Sramik Somonnay Committee’s joint secretary Anwar Hossain confirmed that they had resumed the private ambulance service around 5pm.
CMCH assured us that they would allow 10 ambulances in the east corner of CMCH for parking the vehicles, the joint secretary said.
The bodies of ambulance owners-drivers-workers went to the strike from last Wednesday after police seized three ambulances and lodged two cases against two drivers for illegally parking on the road despite having prohibition of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP).
The strike was continued for four consecutive days causing worst sufferings to the patients and deceased relatives who came to put service from CMCH.