Interns at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital have again called a strike demanding the arrest of those involved in vandalising the institution and assaulting doctors in the wake of the death of a patient, who was a Rajshahi University student.
Imran Hossain, the president of the RMCH interns’ council, announced a 72-hour strike pressing a three-point demand on Saturday, according to bdnews24.com.
Along with the arrest and punishment of those involved in the agitation last week, the interns demanded that authorities identify the cause of the death of Rajshahi University student KGM Shahriar and ensure the safety of the doctors at the hospital.
The interns threatened fresh protest programmes if the demands were not met within three days.
Shahriar, a fourth-year student of marketing at Rajshahi University, was injured after falling from the second-floor balcony of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall on Wednesday. He was subsequently rushed to RMCH where doctors declared him dead.
Agitated university students then vandalised the hospital alleging negligence on the authorities’ part and clashed with RMCH students at one point. At midnight, the interns called an indefinite strike and left the hospital all at once.
The hospital authorities formed a six-member committee to probe the allegations of negligence in the treatment of Shahriar in a late-night meeting. The hospital’s acting administrative officer Anwar Hossain lodged a case against more than three hundred Rajshahi University students, but it was not registered.
Following a meeting with the hospital administration on Thursday, the interns pressed a 24-hour ultimatum for the arrest of those involved in the agitation and returned to work on Friday.
The interns called a strike again as no arrest was made.
