'Who will protest for us': Patients left crying for treatment amid doctors' strike
“What sort of protest is this that denies medical treatment? Is there no law in this country? Who will ensure justice for the sufferings we are having to go through? Who will protest for us?” said Marium, who brought her ailing husband to Dhaka for treatment from Jhenaidah
Marium Begum crossed over 160 kilometres, changing vehicles multiple times, with her ailing husband, hoping to get him better medical care in Dhaka after treatment at a local hospital failed.
"My husband suffers from liver complications. We came to Dhaka for his treatment. But I could not get him admitted even after trying for hours," Marium told The Business Standard in front of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) today (1 September).
Marium and her husband are two of the hundreds of thousands who are being deprived of medical treatment as doctors across the country announced a complete work abstention today following an assault on doctors at the DMCH yesterday.
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They called on the government to meet their four-point demand, including the arrest of those involved in the assault on doctors at DMCH and the deployment of armed "health police" at healthcare institutions.
In a statement, the doctors said they will only go back to work once their demands are met.
"If the hospitals remain closed like this, where will we go? We do not have the money to get treatment at private hospitals," Marium said.
"What sort of protest is this that denies medical treatment? Is there no law in this country? Who will ensure justice for the sufferings we are having to go through? Who will protest for us?" she said.
The DMCH, one of the most prominent public hospitals in the capital that deals with scores of patients every day, remained closed following the work abstention by doctors.
Hundreds of patients from across the country come to the capital seeking treatment at the hospital every day. Today, many of them have returned after waiting for hours. While some others took position in front of its Emergency Department.
Meanwhile, allegations have risen that a patient was beaten by doctors for shooting a video of a programme in the programme.
Halima Rahman, who came to DMCH for treatment for a long-running headache-related issue, alleged her brother Ataur Rahman was beaten by doctors at around 12pm today.
Stating that she and her brother were not aware of the attack on DMCH doctors yesterday, she said, "I came to see my physician about my headache. The doctor had asked me to come today."
However, Halima could not visit the doctor as she was not given a ticket for the Emergency Department.
"After waiting for hours, we decided to return home. At that point, my brother asked for my phone to shoot a video of a programme taking place at the No-10 conference room of the hospital from outside. But the doctors snatched the phone from him and beat him mercilessly," alleged Halima.
Ataur said a few other people were also shooting videos of the programme.
"I figured I could shoot the video too. There was no protest or any chaos at the programme. Suddenly, someone snatched my phone and asked me who I was. I replied that I am a patient. Then they beat me and threw me outside the hospital.
However, the DMCH authorities have denied the allegations.
"They [Halima and Ataur] are lying. No treatment is going on at the hospital. There is no doctor. Then how will the doctors attack them?" said Shahin Sikder, in-charge of audit at the Dental Department of the hospital.
