Healthcare services came to a grinding halt at all private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres across the country due to the doctor strike, causing immense suffering to patients and others. Doctors at private hospitals were on a two-day work stoppage, during which they did not see patients at their private chambers and conduct surgeries.
The stoppage continued till Tuesday to protest the arrest of two Central Hospital doctors and to demand their release from jail. They announced a work stoppage in support of gynaecologists who were on strike to protest the arrest of two colleagues over the death of a mother and her newborn child.
Various medical professional organisations joined the strike in solidarity, causing immense suffering for patients across the country. Besides, demanding a hike in their monthly stipends to Tk 50,000 from Tk 20,000, postgraduate private trainee doctors had also enforced a work abstention programme in public hospitals across the country for three days last week. However, they have temporarily suspended their program following an assurance of a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
If physicians face any untoward
incidents they can resolve the
issue through discussions with
the higher authority of the
government instead of going on strike
The profession of a doctor is noble as physicians are the ones who save the lives of countless people by the knowledge and experience. Therefore, country’s physicians should stay beside people. When a doctor listens to a patient with patience, it gives the patient confidence and helps to heal. In many cases, people are healed by the words of a doctor rather than treatment and medicine as it helps the patient to gain confidence.
It is a reality that a patient gets half-healed after hearing the doctor's words. Therefore, physicians should continue to work with integrity.
We express our disappointment and call for an end to the patients’ suffering caused by frequent doctors’ strikes. If physicians face any untoward incidents they can resolve the issue through discussions with the higher authority of the government instead of going on strike.
We appeal to the high command of the government to call the physicians not to go for strike again. The government will have to take all possible measures to ensure a safe environment for the physicians at hospitals across the country.
