Three patients die during docs\\\' strike in KMCH

Three patients died at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) in the last 38 hours ending on Tuesday afternoon allegedly for want of treatment. Medical practitioners’ indefinite strike entered the 2nd day on Tuesday in Khulna. The deceased are Ripon Shikder, 35, of Vandaria Upazila of Pirojpur district, Saiful Islam, 40, of Terokhada upazila of Khulna district and Zinder Ali, 40, of Keshobpur Upazila of Jessore district. Relatives of Ripon and Saiful alleged that their patients died yesterday afternoon due to strike by the doctors. Rafique, nephew of Zinder Ali, said ‘my uncle was a heart patient and was admitted to the KMCH in the morning with critical condition’. He died around 10:30am as doctors were not available, he said. Superintendent of the KMCH Abdus Samad said: ‘Everyday two or three patients die but doctors are not responsible for this.’ Ripon Shikder had been suffering from cancer since long, Saiful’s condition deteriorated as his intestines came out from the body. He was admitted on Monday with several serious injuries as criminals hacked him indiscriminately, he added. Zinder had been suffering from acute heart disease and he died due to cardiac arrest, superintendent said adding that only outdoor doctors of KMCH joined the strike. Expressing solidarity, medical practitioners of privates and government hospitals of the nine districts of Khulna division also started a 2-hour work stoppage (9.00am to 11.00am) from Tuesday. Entire medical services in Khulna district have come to a halt as medical practitioners both private and public hospitals resorted to indefinite strike from Monday to press home their three-point demands, according to a news agency.