Intern doctors' strike at RMCH, patients suffer

Intern doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) have been observing a 24-hour work abstention to protest harassment by patients' attendants. The strike has severely disrupted medical services, causing immense suffering for patients arriving from distant areas.

The Intern Doctors' Society has reported multiple incidents of harassment against doctors at the hospital recently. On Sunday night, two male intern doctors were harassed in ward 13, and on Monday evening, a female intern doctor was mobbed and harassed by patients' attendants in ward 36. They began the work abstention from 9:00 am on Tuesday, April 21, demanding fair justice and security.

The aggrieved intern doctors also held a human chain on the hospital premises at 9:00 am on Wednesday to press their demands. They warned that stricter programmes will be announced if their demands are not met within the stipulated time.

The strike has impacted overall services as intern doctors play a crucial role in providing medical care at the hospital, leaving many patients deprived of necessary treatment.

Bakkar Ali, who came from Bagha upazila in Rajshahi, said he admitted his wife to ward 31 on Monday, but treatment has not yet started due to the lack of medical services. Many other patients and their attendants are facing similar extreme hardship.

RMCH Hospital spokesman and Emergency Department in-charge Dr Shankar K Biswas said, "Services are being somewhat disrupted due to the intern doctors' strike. However, hospital authorities are trying their utmost to provide care to patients."

He added that although meetings have been held with the intern doctors to resolve the situation, no final solution has been reached yet. Authorities are continuing efforts to normalise the situation.