Postgraduate, intern doctors continue strike for third straight day

Several hospitals across Bangladesh are struggling to provide care as the strike launched by postgraduate trainees and intern doctors of the country's public and autonomous hospitals continues into a third consecutive day, reports bdnews24.com.
The striking doctors said they are not able to confirm how long the protest will continue as they have yet to receive any assurance from the government regarding the fulfilment of their demands.
"Nobody has contacted us and given us any update about the fulfilment of our demands till now. That's why the protest is still underway. Intern doctors are also on strike with us," said Jabir Hossain, president of the Postgraduate Private Trainee Doctors Association.
Authorities at several hospitals in Dhaka and outside the capital are struggling to perform day-to-day activities as the Postgraduate Private Trainee Doctors Association and Intern Doctors Council have been on a strike to press home their four-point list of demands, which include back pay and an increase in allowance, since Sunday.
The physicians said the strike did not have too significant an impact on Tuesday as the hospitals' outdoor and all types of surgeries other than emergency ones were closed due to the public holiday.
Dr Md Niatuzzaman, director of Dhaka's Mugda General Hospital, said as many as 50 interns and postgraduate trainees work at the hospital but their strike has not had much effect.
"The posted doctors working in the hospital are doing rotation duties. The number of patients is also less now due to Ramadan."