We are greatly relieved by the High Court's position expressed on Monday that strikes enforced by clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres to justify medical negligence were unethical.

Coming in the backdrop of the 20-hour strike enforced by the private clinics, hospitals and diagnostic centres in Chittagong, the observation is very timely. The strike was called after Rab conducted drives in four hospitals of the port city on July 8, resulting in indescribable sufferings of the patients. Earlier on June 29, Raifa Khan, the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of a senior reporter of daily Samakal, died due to wrong treatment at Max Hospital in Chittagong. After her death, as the journalists and the general people demanded a fair investigation of the incident, the leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) and Private Clinic and Hospital Owners' Association had, reportedly, threatened the journalists of consequences. The BMA's Chittagong unit general secretary threatened the journalists saying that doctors would stop treating journalists in the port city. Such threats by medical professionals are objectionable.

The whole idea that the medical profession is beyond any kind of criticism and scrutiny and nobody can make any complaints against any irregularities is unacceptable. It is strange that whenever there is any complaint of wrong treatment against any doctor, rather than investigating the complaints, the doctors go for work abstention. Holding patients hostage as a response to any complaint or punitive action by the agencies must be stopped.  On both counts, such practices are unethical and a violation of the doctors' Hippocratic Oath. The medical professionals should come out of this mentality to make sure that this noble profession is one that the public admires, not fears.