CHITTAGONG: Medical service at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) returned to normalcy as intern doctors withdrew their strike on Tuesday after authorities concerned assured them of meeting their demands.

Services at CMCH remained halted as the interns started observing work abstention from Monday night protesting the assault on one of their female fellows.

The withdrawal came after the CMCH authorities and leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) assured the interns of meeting their demands step by step.

The doctors, however, also issued a 24-hour ultimatum to nab the main accused of the incident. Otherwise, they will enforce strike again.

To press home their demands, the interns formed a human chain at 11:00am, followed by a meeting among the representatives of Intern Doctor Association (IDA), CMCH director Brigadier General Khondaker Shahidul Gani and BMA president Mujibul Haque at the hospital’s conference room.

At the meeting, the IDA representatives are told that son of the patient, whose relatives assaulted a female intern, has already been detained and he would be sued.

Interns’ other demands including the security to the victim female intern, and sufficient security measures at the important wards of the hospital will also be met gradually.

IDA joint convener Nasir Uddin Patwari Shuvo told banglanews that they have called off the protest program upon assurance from the authorities concerned.

They are likely to go on strike again if the main accused is not nabbed within 24 hours, added the IDA leader.

Earlier, some seven to eight relatives came to visit a patient, who was kept in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), on Monday night.

They assaulted a female intern doctor physically and threatened her of dire consequences as she disallowed them to enter the ICU altogether.

Following the incident, intern doctor went on work abstention at 11:00pm on Monday, treating no patient at the hospital’s outdoor and indoor departments.

BDST: 1455 HRS, JUN 13, 2015
HB/RR

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