Doctors have enforced a nationwide ‘complete shutdown’ following the suspension of medical services at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in protest against the assault on three of their colleagues.
The strike was announced by Dr Abdul Ahad, Registrar of the Neurosurgery Unit at DMCH, who declared, "We are announcing a strike across the country." He emphasised that from now on, there will be a complete halt in medical services by physicians nationwide.
The protesting doctors are demanding enhanced security measures at hospitals across the country, including the deployment of troops and the formation of a ‘Health Police’ to ensure the safety of both doctors and patients.
From a rally held at DMCH administrative block around 2:30pm, the doctors endorsed the complete shutdown announced by Dr Abdul Ahad.
They said that the complete shutdown will continue until their demands are met and security is ensured.
As part of the shutdown, all types of healthcare services provided by doctors in public and private hospitals, as well as private chambers across the country, will be suspended, they said.
Additionally, they declared that the emergency department and all emergency operations will also remain closed.
The shutdown has already had a significant impact on patients at DMCH, as doctors and staff have ceased work, halting services in various departments, including emergency and outpatient units.
The work stoppage was triggered by an attack on three doctors by peers of a private university student who died on Saturday (August 31). In response, intern doctors issued a 24-hour ultimatum, demanding that the attackers be identified and punished, threatening a complete hospital shutdown if their demands were not met. Senior doctors quickly joined the protest, supporting the interns' call for action.
Despite the 24-hour ultimatum, the strike began before the deadline expired. Although doctors initially reported to work in the morning, they gradually left the hospital as the day progressed. By 8:30 a.m., medical officers had closed their rooms in the emergency department, and the emergency ticket counter was shut down, according to witnesses.
Patients were seen gathering outside DMCH, hoping to receive treatment. However, with no doctors available, most were forced to seek care elsewhere.
Inspector Md Bachchu Miah, in charge of the police camp at DMCH, confirmed that medical services at the emergency and other departments were suspended from 8:45 a.m., causing immense suffering for patients in urgent need of care.
The incident that sparked the strike occurred on Saturday afternoon when doctors were assaulted in the operating theater following the death of a private university student. Some of the student's peers accused the physicians of negligence, leading to a violent altercation in which three doctors—Imran, Mashrafe, and Zubair, all from the neurosurgery department—were injured.
Dr Imran, one of the injured doctors, recounted that after the student from Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) passed away during treatment, his peers forcibly entered the operation theater and attacked the doctors. The assault continued from the neurosurgery ward to the hospital director's office.
Dr Imran demanded that the hospital authorities ensure the safety of doctors, improve the work environment, and arrest those responsible within 24 hours based on CCTV footage, warning that the doctors would go on strike if their demands were not met.
Professor Shafiqul Islam, head of the neurosurgery department, condemned the attack as a "shameful incident."
He revealed that discussions were held with the hospital director, doctors, the BUBT vice-chancellor, and students. An inquiry committee will be formed to investigate the incident, and those responsible will be asked to file a case and ensure their arrest within 24 hours. Professor Islam also warned that if no action is taken, the doctors would go on an indefinite strike.
The hospital director, Brigadier General Asaduzzaman, described the incident as "very sad" and assured the doctors that their safety is his responsibility. He announced that the army would be deployed in the emergency department for security and that an investigation committee would be established to review CCTV footage and take action against those responsible.