The strike called at the private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres in Chittagong has ended.
Private Hospital and Diagnosis Owner's Association General Secretary Dr Liakat Ali confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune over the phone around 12:45pm on Monday.
Liakat, also the managing director of Max Hospital, said: “For now, we have withdrawn our strike.”
This correspondent visited Medical Centre, Chittagong Metropolitan Hospital, and Royal Hospital, in the GEC area, and found that the healthcare services resumed after the strike ended.
A huge crowd of patients were spotted at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Chevron, and Epic diagnostic centres.
Bonhi Chakrabarty, emergency medical officer of the CMCH told the Dhaka Tribune that usually 600 to 650 patients are admitted to the hospital every day. But around 1200 patients were admitted on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, people from different walks of life, including journalists, gathered in front of the Chittagong Press Club to protest the strike.
On Sunday, the private hospitals suspended their duties in protest of RAB’s sudden drive against irregularities in two private hospitals.
Chittagong unit of Bangladesh Private Medical Practitioners' Association and Private Hospital and Diagnosis Owner's Association started the protest activity on Sunday.
Two mobile courts of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided Max Hospital in Mehedibag area and Metropolitan Hospital at GEC intersection.
RAB fined Tk10 lakh to Max Hospital for several anomalies found in their activities—and gave them 15 days to rectify the problems.
Previously, on June 29, a three-year-old baby named Raifa Khan died due to incorrect treatment at Max Hospital.
Later, a probe body, formed by the government to investigate the death of Raifa Khan, found evidence of negligence in her treatment.
However, Executive Magistrate of RAB Sarwar Alam told reporters that the drive at the privately-run hospital is not connected to Raifa's case.
In another drive conducted by Sarwar Alam, RAB fined a privately-run hospital with Tk4 lakh for multiple anomalies.