Patients in Rajshahi have been suffering since Thursday evening as medical services at government and private hospitals and clinics in the city have remained suspended because of a strike called by the physicians there.
The physicians and the owners of clinics and diagnostic centres declared a non-stop strike, protesting imprisonment of a physician.
Seven organisations, including Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) units of Bangladesh Medical Association and Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad, on Thursday evening announced the strike at a press briefing at Lakshmipur Mukti Clinic in the city.
At the conference, the doctor leaders demanded release of Dr Samiul Haque Shimul, owner of Dolphin Clinic, by 10am yesterday.
They also threatened that medical services at all the public and private hospitals and clinics in the city would remain suspended and doctors would observe work abstention until Dr Shimul was released.
Meanwhile, patients’ sufferings knows no bounds because of the strike and a few of them had already left the hospital.
Azibar Rahman, son of a patient at the RMCH, said that they decided to shift his father to a private clinic in Dhaka.
Contacted, RMCH Director Brig Gen Saidur Rahman claimed that many regular doctors were providing necessary treatment to the patients and medical services were running almost usual.
Earlier on Thursday, Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Bishwanath sent Dr Samiul Haque Shimul to jail after rejecting his bail petition in connection with a death of a patient at his clinic.
Anwarul Haque Tipu, 35, of Sheikhtola of Shibganj upazila, died around 10:30pm on Wednesday while he was undergoing treatment for a broken leg at the Dolphin Clinic.
Incensed at his death, the patient’s relatives aided by some local people vandalised the clinic.
