A tense situation arose at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) and surrounding areas as health reform protests continued for 21 days, with health services at the hospital disrupted for three hours on Sunday, from noon to 3pm.
At noon, when a protest march of students started from the front of Aswini Kumar Town Hall in the city centre, police stopped them from entering the SBMCH premises located on Band Road in the city.
The hospital authorities said the angry student "mob beat up" Dr Dilip Kumar Roy, an intern at the Medicine 2 unit, outside the campus.
In response, interns at the hospital went on an indefinite strike at 5pm.
In addition, it was reported that one female employee, a relative of a patient and a class-four employee named Bahadur were also injured.
As the main gate of the hospital was closed, patients were seen waiting for a long time with trolleys and were turned back.
At one point, the protesters threw stones and brick bats at the fourth-grade employees of the hospital.
SBMCH Director Brigadier General AKM Mashiul Munir said the situation at the hospital has been reported to the higher authorities.
A frightening atmosphere has been created among the 900 nurses and doctors of the hospital, he added.
The hospital director acknowledged that there has been some difficulty in providing proper health services at the hospital, as panic and fear has been created everywhere.
Notably, in line with the announcement of a protest program, at noon, students and the public held a protest rally in front of Aswini Kumar Town Hall in the city, demanding health reforms.
They also demanded that the fourth-grade employees of the hospital who attacked them be brought to justice.
Mohiuddin Roni, one of the leaders of the protesters, said: “SBMCH has been taken hostage by the syndicate. We have been attacked because we are demanding an end to these syndicates.”
When the protesters were trying to enter the premises through the SBMCH main gate, chanting slogans against the syndicate and brokers, a tense situation was created after obstruction by the police.
At one point, the protesters accused the hospital's fourth-class employees of instigating them from inside the hospital and threw stones at them.
Rony said: “This movement is not against any person, but against the hospital syndicate, which is very powerful."
“It is because of this syndicate that the hospital has been in a state of inefficiency for so long. We want justice for the attack on us,” Rony added.
Mizanur Rahman, OC of Kotwali police station, said the SBMCH authorities have banned any kind of meeting, gathering, or protest procession in the hospital compound. So, the police stopped the protesters and procession from entering the SBMCH campus, he added.
Abdur Rahman, a fourth-grade employee, admitted that there was panic at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital due to the program.
He said: “We remain outside the hospital for security reasons rather than staying inside to avoid any assault.”
Abdullah Khan, another employee, said he is stuck outside and also unable to enter.
Amena Begum from Patuakhali, who has been undergoing treatment on the fourth floor of the hospital since Saturday, said that since Sunday morning, doctors, staff and patients have been in a state of panic.
