Khulna doctors’ work abstention rolls into third day, patients in distress

For the third day in a row on Friday, Khulna's doctors were on a strike in protest of an alleged police attack on one of their colleagues.

Hospitalized patients and those who sought medical attention were suffering as a result.

Specialist doctors have also stopped seeing patients in private chambers.

A delegation of the Directorate General of Health Services is on the way to Khulna to resolve the situation.

The team will hold a discussion with doctor leaders at the BMA building at 2pm, said Dr Sheikh Baharul Alam, president of the Bangladesh Medical Association's Khulna unit.

He said the BMA, clinic owners and representatives of all organizations related to doctors will be present there. 

Due to the strike, treatment activities in government hospitals and private clinics have come to a standstill.

Every day, patients from far away are returning without getting treatment. 

Hospitalized patients are also not receiving services.

On February 25, Dr Sheikh Nishat Abdullah, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialized Hospital, was physically assaulted, allegedly by a patient's relatives including Assistant Sub-inspector Naim posted in Satkhira district police, at a nursing home in Sheikhpara of Khulna city during surgery.

Protesting the attack, Khulna BMA decided to observe a 24-hour work abstention from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning.

However, the work abstention continued on Thursday, and after an emergency meeting of the BMA, it was announced that the program would continue. 

It was also announced that a protest rally and general meeting would be held on Saturday afternoon and evening.