12 injured in Bogura hospital clash, intern doctors begin indefinite strike

At least 12 people, including doctors and relatives of a deceased patient, were injured in a clash at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura following the patient’s death, prompting intern doctors to begin an indefinite work stoppage.

The incident took place on the hospital’s seventh floor around 11pm on Tuesday night (September 1).

Police took four people into custody for questioning following the clash.

Hospital and police sources said Abdul Manik, 55, of Rajapur in Bogura city, had been admitted to the hospital with breathing difficulties. His condition worsened on Tuesday night, after which doctors administered an injection. He died shortly afterwards.

The patient’s relatives alleged that Manik had been given an injection intended for another patient, resulting in his death. When they approached doctors seeking an explanation, an argument broke out and later escalated into a physical confrontation between the two sides.

Police from Bogura Sadar Police Station and members of the Detective Branch rushed to the hospital after receiving the report and brought the situation under control.

Ibrahim Ali, officer-in-charge (OC) Bogura Sadar Police Station, said, "At least six relatives of the deceased were injured in the clash. Two were receiving treatment at the hospital, while four others were taken into police custody."

The four people detained are believed to be relatives of the deceased or individuals who had accompanied them, the police officer said.

No written complaint had been filed with the police as of Wednesday, and legal action would be taken if a complaint is submitted, he added.

Intern doctors, however, claimed that several doctors were assaulted during the clash and that at least six interns suffered serious injuries. They said some of the injured doctors had sustained fractures in their hands.

Ritul Mondal Snigdha, an intern doctor, said the authorities were still compiling information on the injured doctors and their conditions. He said the interns had decided to go on an indefinite work stoppage as an immediate response to the incident.

The hospital authorities said medical services were continuing with the help of senior and mid-level doctors despite the interns’ strike.

Dr Manzur A Murshed, deputy director of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital, said the facility was originally built as a 500-bed hospital with staffing based on that capacity. Although its approved capacity was later increased to 1,200 and eventually 1,800 beds, staffing had not been expanded accordingly.

As a result, the hospital is facing significant pressure from patient numbers that far exceed its infrastructure and manpower capacity, he said.

Murshed also said multiple relatives often accompany a single patient, resulting in a large number of people inside the hospital and making it difficult to maintain an appropriate environment for medical care.

He stressed that the safety of intern doctors must be ensured continuously, rather than only after an incident occurs, so that doctors can provide treatment safely and independently.