In Bangladesh, the intern doctors at several medical college hospitals started a ‘complete shutdown’ today, demanding the fulfilment of their five-point demand, including reforms in the healthcare sector. The strike, called by the Intern Doctors’ Council, started at 8 am, seriously affecting the treatment of admitted patients.
In a statement, the Intern Doctors’ Council condemned the repeated delays in the High Court order over healthcare sector reforms. They alleged that people with only a higher secondary education are illegally using the ‘doctor’ title, leading to medical malpractice and harassment of qualified doctors. Their demands also included an increase in the maximum age limit for BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) medical exams to 34 years and the immediate recruitment of 10,000 medical teachers to address the doctor shortage.
The protesting intern doctors said they have joined the strike as part of a nationwide movement, which announced all medical college hospitals across the country will be part of the complete shutdown programme. Emergency services, surgeries, and outpatient care will, however, remain outside the purview of the movement.
The strike came in from the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College (SZMC) in Bogura.