Private clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres in Chittagong withdrew their indefinite strike yesterday noon after causing immense suffering to patients for 20 hours.

The strike was withdrawn following assurance from the authorities concerned that the demands of clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres would be met, Liakat Ali Khan, general secretary of Besarkari Chikitsha Protisthan Malik Samity, told The Daily Star.

The strike was enforced at 4:00pm on Sunday, hours after a Rab mobile court had conducted drives at four private hospitals in the port city.

During the strike yesterday, many patients had to return from private clinics and diagnostic centres as they were denied treatment and medical tests. Two government hospitals, including Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), witnessed a rush of patients since morning.

People crowd the ticket counter of the hospital's emergency department. Rush of patients at the CMCH increased after private clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres in the port city went on an indefinite strike on Sunday. The strike was withdrawn yesterday afternoon. Photo: Rajib Raihan

Dilshad Begum brought her son, aged about 17, to Popular Diagnostic Centre around 8:30am to have a colonoscopy performed on him. To her utter dismay, she found the diagnostic centre shut. Security guards told her that an indefinite strike was underway at clinics and diagnostic centres.

She said she paid in full up front on Sunday and the centre staff members asked her son to come by 8:00am yesterday for undergoing the test.

“We have spent Tk 600 to travel to Chittagong city from Chandanaish upazila ….My son took all preparations to undergo colonoscopy. Where will we go now?”

After waiting at the diagnostic centre till 10:00am, Dilshad along her son left for home.

Rekha Barua, aged about 28, came to Chevron Diagnostic Centre around 8:30am for undergoing an endoscopy, but found its main entrance closed.

“My physician advised me to undergo an endoscopy at this diagnostic centre….The same physician was supposed to conduct the test…I didn't eat anything since morning as part of preparation for undergoing the test.”

Rekha said such strikes by doctors and clinics only cause suffering to patients.

RUSH AT CMCH

With private clinics and hospitals on strike, the number of patients at Chittagong Medical College Hospital almost doubled yesterday.

Tariqul Islam brought his younger brother Helal Uddin to the hospital's emergency department around 10:00am, hours after Helal slipped on the bathroom floor at his home. He had been feeling pain in his left leg since then.

“We rushed him to Surgiscope Hospital the in city's Panchlaish area, but they refused to have my brother admitted,” said Tariqul.

Finding no other alternative, they went to the public hospital.

Banhi Chakraborty, an emergency medical officer at CMCH, said they usually treat around 600 patients daily at the emergency department, but the number went up to around 1,100 till 1:00pm yesterday.

“Since we have enough manpower, we don't face any problem to deal with the increased number of patients,” she said.

CMCH Director Brig Gen Jalal Uddin said they put additional doctors on duty at some busy wards, including at gynaecology and obstetrics, cardiology and orthopedics departments.

Visiting the hospital yesterday, this correspondent found many patients lying on the floor in front of an orthopedics ward. Doctors at the ward said they would offer treatment to all the patients regardless of their number and would try their level best to cure them.

Jahirul Islam, in-charge of CMCH Police Camp, said they deployed extra policemen at different floors of the hospital to avoid any untoward situation as the number of patients increased.

SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of Consumers' Association of Bangladesh, termed the strike by private clinics and diagnostic centres inhuman.

The strike deprived the people of their constitutional rights of receiving treatment, he said.

“Medical professionals cannot go on strike holding the people hostage,” Nazer told The Daily Star.

On Sunday, the Rab conducted mobile courts at four hospitals, including Max Hospital, already under fire over the death of three-year-old Raifa Khan.

Daughter of a senior journalist in Chittagong, Raifa died of medical negligence at Max Hospital on June 29. Soon after the incident, there came demands for punishment of doctors whose negligence was proven in an investigation conducted by a committee, led by the Chittagong civil surgeon.

Another probe body of the Directorate General of Health Services found that the hospital was plagued with irregularities and anomalies.