Staff Correspondent

Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum is meeting with doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, who are on a work stoppage to protest attacks and demand security.

Two coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement are also attending the meeting at the office of DMCH Director Brig Gen Asaduzzaman.

Coordinators Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah met with the protesting doctors at the hospital around 3pm. They discussed the ongoing situation at the hospital.

Then, around 3:45pm, Health Advisor Nurjahan arrived and sat with the doctors and officials at the director’s office. They were joined by the two coordinators.

“Doctors are attacked whenever something happens. This is quite upsetting to me. I have come to listen to you. I sympathise,” the health advisor said.

“I am like your mother. Do not hide things from your mother. Speak to me. I want reforms in the health sector too.”

Prior to the meeting, the health advisor had called on the protesting doctors to withdraw their work stoppage at a press conference at the Secretariat in the afternoon.

“Two separate investigation committees have been formed,” she said. “The recommendations of the two committees will be implemented.”

She added that those involved in the attacks would be brought to justice after CCTV footage was scrutinised.

Three incidents of attacks and violence occurred at DMCH on Saturday night. Intern doctors then stopped work. Other doctors expressed their solidarity with the work stoppage on Sunday morning, leading to a halt in medical service at Bangladesh’s largest hospital.

The doctors had previously demanded that the attackers be detained and punished and the security of patients and doctors be ensured. But, when assurances were not given, they announced a six-point list of demands and announced a ‘complete shutdown’ of medical centres.

Abdul Ahad, hospital registrar (neuro surgery green unit, said on behalf of the doctors: “We are calling a nationwide work stoppage.”

Nurses and officials at Dhaka Medical announced their solidarity with the protest. Jamal Uddin Badhsha said on behalf of the nurses: “We are expressing our solidarity with the doctors. We demand that nurses are provided adequate security at all workplaces.”