Shutdown of doctors suspended

The doctors have suspended the 'Complete Shutdown' program till 8 pm on Monday, assuring the arrest of the attackers. The agitating doctors made this announcement on Sunday afternoon after a discussion with Health and Family Welfare Advisor Noor Jahan Begum.

The health advisor assured the arrest of the attackers within 24 hours in discussion with the doctors.

The agitating doctors said that the program will be held again if safety is not ensured at the workplace and those responsible are not arrested.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital was attacked and beaten three times on Saturday night. After that, the intern doctors stopped working at night. Medical services were stopped in all departments of the hospital from Sunday morning as other doctors joined their strike.

Apart from arresting and punishing the attackers, the doctors made two demands including ensuring the safety of doctors and patients across the country. But due to the lack of assurance of meeting the demands, a complete shutdown was announced in all the medical centers across the country in the afternoon and a six-point demand was announced. The nurses and employees of Dhaka Medical also expressed their solidarity in this movement of the doctors.

In a press conference at the Secretariat in the afternoon, Health Advisor Noor Jahan Begum promised to bring those involved in the attack under the law and urged to withdraw the complete shutdown program given to the doctors.

Later, health advisor Noor Jahan Begum went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around quarter past four. He sat in a meeting with doctors and officials in the director's room. Two coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement also joined it.

In the meeting, the adviser said that doctors are attacked wherever something happens. It feels so bad to me. I came to listen to you. I am also a homosexual. I am like your mother, mother has nothing to hide. You say, I want to reform the health sector.

Anti-discrimination student movement coordinator Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah also participated in the meeting in the room of Brigadier General Asaduzzaman, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.