BIRDEM docs back on duty as police officer withdrawn

FE Report | Published: April 17, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

After two consecutive days the agitating doctors of BIRDEM Hospital in the city ended their work abstention Wednesday to the relief of patients who faced immense sufferings.
The protesting doctors were back on their duty after Wednesday evening hearing the news that the police officer who had assaulted duty doctors Sunday was suspended.
Earlier the agitating doctors who had been abstaining from work since Monday morning formed a human chain at the Shabagh square demanding immediate punishment to the police officer and his other team members.
Doctors of the BSMMU and Dhaka Medical College hospitals had also expressed their solidarity with the BIRDEM doctors and they had preparing to go for an agitation until those responsible for the attack were brought to book.
In a closed door meeting at the BIRDEM there were frequent requests to the protesting doctors to resume duty. The requests were made by the director general of health, the BMA president and others.
On Sunday night Dhaka district additional police super ABM Masud Hossin had assaulted three on-duty doctors. He alleged that his relative had died due to wrong treatment by physicians.
However, patients at different wards at the hospital talking to the FE painted a horrible picture of treatment there.
An attendant of a patient said though the doctors were say that the ICU, CCU and emergency doctors were on duty. But except a few, there had been no other doctors.
A senior physician at the BIRDEM said: "Though the police officer has been suspended, but we will hold our scheduled human chain programme at Shahbag Square tomorrow (Thursday) demanding punishment to other two people who were also involved in the incident."
He said doctors from the BSMMU and DMCH had expressed their solidarity and decided to join them at the human chain programme Thursday.
Earlier the health minister threatened that if the suspected police officer was not punished, they would stop medical services to the police hospitals.