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Medical doctors and interns have suspended their work abstention on Wednesday evening after a daylong strike that caused immense sufferings to patients and their relatives.
They suspended their strike upon assurance from the government to meet their demands while their prime demand was met in a court order on Wednesday.
Habibur Rahman Sohag, a Post Graduate Student and one of coordinator of the protest confirmed the decision to reporters on the postponement of the strike.
He said that their main demand – ensuring that only MBBS/BDS degree holders can use the title “doctor” – had been upheld by the High Court.
“The other demands are time consuming and the government assured us of meeting them gradually. Therefore, we suspended our strike upon the government's assurance,” he added.
Among their demands was a call to prevent the introduction of the misleading title called 'Diploma Doctor', a designation not recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) or any global medical authority.
The protesters met with government officials on Wednesday evening and announced their decision to suspend the strike later that night.
The strike, which affected government hospitals across the country, was organised to press for a five-point demand.
It caused widespread disruptions, with outpatient and inpatient services largely halted.
However, some hospitals, including the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), the Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, and the Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital, continued to see outpatients.
In contrast, the outpatient department at Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital was completely closed. Unaware of the strike, patients had gathered at the hospital since morning, with many leaving after long waits while others lingered in hopes of receiving care.
Emergency services, including intensive care units (ICUs) and critical care units (CCUs), remained operational during the strike.
This day’s strike was declared on Tuesday during a press conference at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, following a day-long program under the banner of “Doctors and Medical Students at All Levels”.
Nadim Hossain, an intern physician at Dhaka Medical College, has announced a new programme, outlining a five-point demand.
The new demands include a notification must be issued stating that 'no one other than a registered doctor (MBBS/BDS) will be able to independently run private practice; a special campaign must be conducted to re-define their course curriculum and close all substandard MATS (Medical Assistant Training Schools) within the next seven working days; to ensure public health care, an adequate number of doctors must be appointed to vacant positions and the BCS age limit for doctors must be raised to 34 years; a doctor protection law must be immediately enacted; and a specific pay scale must be created for private doctors.