Dhaka, September 02 — Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the largest hospital in Bangladesh, have announced that they will continue their protests until their demands are met, causing significant disruption to hospital services. Patients and their families are facing great difficulty due to the suspension of services.

The protests began after a series of attacks on doctors, including a violent incident on Saturday night where a doctor was beaten following accusations of negligence in the death of a student injured in a road accident. Subsequently, a clash between two groups outside the hospital resulted in the death of a person, further escalating tensions.

On Monday morning, the hospital’s main gates were closed as part of the protest against these attacks. Dr. Abdul Ahad, a registrar and doctor from the Neurosurgery Department, announced at a press conference in the afternoon that the agitation would continue until all individuals involved in the attacks are arrested, a Health Protection Act is drafted, and a Health Police unit is established.

Protest Programme Details:

- Daily stay-in programme from 8 am to 10 am.

- Emergency services will continue as usual.

- Outpatient services will be available on a limited basis from 10 am to 1 pm.

- Routine services will remain closed, but emergency and indoor services will remain operational.

Dr. Abdul Ahad stated that the programme would continue until their demands are fully addressed.

The suspension of services, particularly the closure of the outpatient department, has caused considerable suffering for patients and their families. Many are now forced to seek assistance from the emergency department, leading to long queues and wait times. 

Despite these disruptions, Brigadier General Nazmul Haque, the director of DMCH, indicated that efforts are underway to resume all hospital services by the end of the day. He mentioned that two of the protesters' main demands have been met, and there is no longer any justification for stopping hospital services. The hospital administration is continuing discussions with the protesting doctors.

In response to the incident, Dhaka Police have arrested one suspect, Sanjay Pal, from the bus terminal area of Gaibandha town early Monday morning. Additionally, Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum held a meeting with the protesting doctors, assuring them of a fair investigation and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Following this meeting, the doctors returned to work by the evening, with emergency and other critical services resuming operations.

The protests began on Saturday night after the initial attack on a doctor at DMCH. Following multiple violent incidents on the same day, the intern doctors started protesting, with support from other doctors and hospital staff. An ultimatum was issued demanding justice and improved security for healthcare workers. This led to an indefinite strike across all government and private hospitals in the country from Sunday.

Efforts to resolve the situation continue, with the hospital administration and government officials engaging in talks to address the doctors' concerns and restore full services.