Services suspended for second day at Ophthalmology Institute following clash between July injured, hospital staff

Highlights:

• Hospital nearly vacant as no doctors, nurses, or staff reported for duty
• No patients remain in hospital except 60-65 July Uprising injured
• Staff vow not to return to work until directives from higher authorities

Services at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH) in Dhaka have remained suspended for the second consecutive day, following a violent clash between the hospital staff and a group of "July Uprising injured."

Today (29 May), the hospital's main gate remained closed, and no doctors, nurses, or other staff reported for duty, bringing all patient services to a halt, sources at the hospital told The Business Standard.

They said the hospital became nearly deserted since Wednesday's clash.

They said only 60-65 patients, who were injured during the July movement and have been admitted for several months, remain inside the hospital, but even they are not receiving any treatment as no staff, nurses, or doctors are present.

Despite heavy rainfall, a number of patients seeking care arrived at the hospital, only to return home without receiving any medical attention.

The situation stems from a violent incident on Wednesday morning, when a group of July injured attacked protesting hospital staff, who had initiated a work stoppage and were demanding increased security at the NIOH following Tuesday's incident at the hospital director's office, according to hospital sources.

At least 15 hospital staff members, including doctors and nurses, were injured in the sporadic clashes, Hospital Director Prof Dr Khair Ahmed Chowdhury said on Wednesday.

Dr Khair told The Business Standard that a group of the July uprising injured attacked the staff, and they were attacking anyone they could find.

He said, "On Tuesday afternoon, a group of July uprising injured visited my room, including the four individuals who had attempted suicide last Sunday. They were arguing and blaming each other over not sharing donated funds." 

"The tension escalated when one of them revealed he had brought petrol. Fearing an accident, I alerted law enforcement. The army arrived, and the group dispersed," he added.

In the aftermath, hospital staff began a work stoppage Wednesday morning to demand increased security.

Witnesses reported that attackers used sticks and rods to break windows of the hospital's residential quarters. The operation theatre and the anaesthesia department were also reportedly vandalised.

The July Uprising injured, however, rejected the allegations.

Ashraful Alam, a hospital staff, today told TBS, "After Wednesday's clash, no doctors, nurses, or staff came to the hospital today. As a result, no hospital activities are running."

He said, "They beat up the very doctors who have been treating them for 11 months. They beat up the staff too – around 7 or 8 of our staff suffered head injuries.

"They came prepared with rods, sticks, everything. Others from the nearby Nitor also joined in the fight." 

"We will not return to work until we receive instructions from higher authorities," he added.

Attempts were made to contact Dr Zane Alam, the acting director of the hospital, to ask when normal operations would resume, but he did not answer his phone.

Meanwhile, Hillol, a July injured patient admitted to the hospital, claimed that none of their group came downstairs on Wednesday.

"On Tuesday, a few July injured tried to commit suicide by pouring petrol in the hospital director's room. But on Wednesday, none of us even went downstairs. We have video footage as proof," he said.