Angry protesters confront health adviser at NITOR

Health adviser Nurjahan Begum and the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Sarah Cooke, outside an orthopaedic hospital in the capital had their way blocked on Wednesday by injured patients after the duo along with other officials visited the wounded of the July-August mass movement.
Patients, with bandages on their hands, feet, and eyes, blocked the road in front of National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) in wheelchairs, saying that they would not clear the road until the health advisor met them all.
They also expressed their resentment alleging that the injured have not been paid with Tk 0.1 million as per an announcement by the government.
Moreover, a group of people complained about being touched in the crowd, while the health advisor and the British high commissioner were trying to respond to the queries of journalist present on the spot.
The advisor, officials from the high commissioner's office, and everyone tried to convince the complainants in the crowd repeatedly, but failed, according to a statement from the health ministry.
In the resulting situation, the health advisor failed to get on-board a vehicle she intended to, but managed to get onto another vehicle and left, shortly followed by the British high commissioner, who also left the scene in a different vehicle.
Army members were deployed to bring the situation under control, however, the protesters said they would not leave the road until the health advisor came and met them. The protesters remained on the road in front of the hospital until the afternoon.
The health adviser and the British high commissioner inquired about the patients in the hospital for more than two and a half hours and spoke to the injured people taking treatment, health ministry said.
Director of NITOR Dr. Kazi Shamim Uzzaman said that a two-member medical team from Britain visited 85 injured patients at the hospital as of yet.
The British medical team performed surgeries on 16 people so far and is scheduled to perform surgeries on two more tomorrow, Dr Shamim Uzzaman said, adding that the foreign medical team is satisfied with their medical protocol.
Two doctors from the UK have been treating students injured in the anti-discrimination protest in NITOR since November 5.

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