Khulna Medical students, intern doctors call off strike
However, the intern doctors association threatened to go on strike again if there is no substantial progress in arresting all the suspects by Saturday
Agitating students and intern doctors of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) have called off their strike, considering the plight of patients, two days after it was called over a clash with local medicine traders that left at least 20 students and nine traders injured.
Dr Saiful Islam Antor, president of KMCH Intern Doctors' Association, announced the withdrawal of the strike at 3 pm on Thursday.
"Khulna-2 constituency MP Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel and Khulna Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque visited the injured students. Two people have already been arrested by police. Considering the suffering of the patients, we have decided to temporarily withdraw the strike," Antor said.
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He, however, threatened to go on strike again if there is no substantial progress in addressing all their demands and arresting all the suspects who attacked the students by Saturday.
Earlier, on Monday night, a clash broke out between the students of Khulna Medical College and Hospital and the medicine sellers of the nearby Blue Super Market over overpricing of medicine at a shop, injuring at least 20 students and nine traders. To protest the incident, intern doctors of the hospital had been on work abstention since then.
In addition, students of the institution staged a protest on the campus on Wednesday to press the authorities to meet their three-point demand— the arrest of the people responsible for the attack on students and the establishment of at least two model pharmacies and a police outpost at the hospital.
Agitating students also locked the rooms of the KMCH principal, vice-principal and the hospital's director and deputy director during the protest.
Later, KMCH Director Md Robiul Islam assured them of establishing a pharmacy at the institution.
On the other hand, drug traders of the Blue Super Market kept their shops shut on Wednesday as a counter programme to the students' protest and also threatened to shut all medicine stores across the Khulna division if any trader is harassed or arrested.
Zillur Rahman Jewel, the director of the central committee of the Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Association, on Thursday said that they were trying to solve the issue through discussions.
The next move of the medicine sellers would be decided at a meeting to be held at night, added Jewel.
