Intern doctors at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) have commenced an indefinite strike to press for a six-point mandate, including the withdrawal of a notification issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The strike, which began at 8am on Sunday, was officially announced on Saturday night in a press release signed by Intern Doctors Association’s Office Secretary Dr Md Irfanur Rahman.
According to the organisation, the protest will continue until further instructions are provided.
Additionally, intern doctors are scheduled to hold a protest rally at the main gate of the hospital.
The movement originally began on 3 June, mirroring protests at various other medical college hospitals across the country against alleged “discrimination and injustice” regarding a ministry notification.
As part of the ongoing agitation, the interns formed a human chain and protest on 4 June at the hospital’s main gate, after which they submitted a memorandum to the relevant authorities via CMCH director.
Although a deadline for implementing their demands was set for Friday night, the doctors reported no visible progress, leading to further human chains and protest marches on Saturday.
The intern doctors’ six-point mandate includes cancellation of the decision regarding FCPS training taken on 19 May by Health Education and Family Welfare Division and enactment of ‘Healthcare Worker Protection Act’ to ensure the safety of doctors and health staff.
Their demands further encompass fixing the monthly allowance for intern doctors at Tk30,000 and increasing the salaries of private trainee doctors to the level of ninth grade.
The interns are calling for age limit for entry into BCS Health Cadre to be set at 34 years, and for BMDC 2025 Ordinance to be converted into law with strict measures taken against fake doctors.
