Intern doctors at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal have launched an indefinite work abstention to press home their six-point demand.
Students of Barishal Medical College have also joined the protest by boycotting classes and examinations.
The protest was held on Sunday around 12:30pm in front of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College, where students initially staged a demonstration.
Intern doctors later joined the programme, after which a procession was brought out that marched around the campus and a human chain was formed in front of the hospital.
At the end of the programme, the protesters submitted a memorandum containing their six-point demand to the hospital director.
Their demands include the enactment of a security law for healthcare workers, fixation of intern doctors’ monthly allowance at a minimum of Tk30,000 in line with the new pay scale, upgrading trainee doctors’ stipends to the level of Grade-9 pay scale, and reducing examination fees of BMU and BCPS to within Tk1,000.
They also called for the cancellation of a committee proposal related to the posting policy of privately trained candidates who have passed FCPS Part-1 under the Ministry of Health.
The intern doctors and students said their indefinite strike will continue until their demands are met. They urged the authorities to initiate immediate dialogue to resolve the crisis.
Meanwhile, hospital authorities said the strike has not disrupted healthcare services. Assistant Director of the hospital Abdul Muneem Sade said doctors and mid-level medical staff are continuing their duties as usual.
He also termed the demands “reasonable” and urged the intern doctors to return to work.
