Medical technologists abstain from work over 6-point demand
The medical technologists said they were forced to go on work abstention as the Directorate General of Health Services did not respond to their demands that had been voiced earlier
Medical technologists at all the government hospitals and health education institutions went on work abstention from 11am-1pm to drive home their six-point demand on Thursday.
The Bangladesh Medical Technologist Association (BMTA) organised the two-hour work abstention programme. However, the healthcare workers continued emergency services during the protest.
During the programme, the medical technologists gathered in front of their respective institutions.
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They said they were forced to go on work abstention as the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) did not respond to their demands that had been voiced earlier.
BMTA President Almas Ali Khan said if the DGHS does not meet their demands immediately, they will go on work abstention at the hospitals and medical education institutions for three hours from 10am to 1pm next Wednesday, keeping only the emergency services undisrupted.
Earlier on July 5, medical technologists staged a sit-in at the DGHS, demanding recruitment of jobless medical technologists who have crossed the age limit, salary under grade-10 of the national pay scale, a separate board for diploma medical education, creation of new posts and cancelation of recruitment of employees through a process that lacks transparency.
Almas said, "During the work abstention programme today, services at the pathology radiology, physiology, dental and radiotherapy departments, and blood banks were hampered."
Collecting samples and testing at the PCR labs for the novel coronavirus were also hampered at that time, but the emergency services were continued on a limited scale, he added.
Our Khulna correspondent reported that medical technologists at government facilities there have staged demonstrations, halting Covid-19 testing and sample collection for two hours.
The technologists formed a human chain observing work abstention from 11am to 1pm.
Mohammad Selimuzzaman, a medical technologist at the Khulna Medical College, said they will go for tougher movement in the future if their demands were not met.
