CMCH intern doctors’ strike disrupts healthcare

Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) authorities are struggling to maintain healthcare services due to the strike by intern doctors over a five-point demand, including restricting MATS, DMFS, and others from using the title "doctor."

When the correspondent visited ward number 13 of the Medicine Department yesterday afternoon, he found that nurses and doctors on duty were rushing in different directions to attend to patients' calls.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two on-duty doctors told The Business Standard, "Intern doctors usually handle all the initial patient care. If necessary, they refer cases to senior doctors. Since they are not here, everyone's workload has naturally increased."

Dr Md Abdus Sattar, head of the Medicine Department at CMCH, told The Business Standard, "This ward always experiences a high patient load. Usually, 12 to 15 intern doctors are on duty. Since they are absent, it has had some impact. However, there are a total of 80 doctors in the ward, and we are managing the situation with them."

Not just the medicine ward, but all wards of the hospital are struggling to provide medical services. Among them, the paediatric, casualty, gynaecology, neuro medicine, and neurology wards are particularly affected.

Patients from Chattogram and neighbouring districts rely on this hospital for advanced treatment. Although the official capacity is around 2,200 patients, the hospital consistently accommodates 3,000 to 3,500 patients. As of Monday afternoon, 3,219 patients were admitted.

Since Sunday, intern doctors have declared an indefinite strike, which continued on Monday as well.

Their five-point demand includes withdrawing the writ petition against the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), restricting BMDC registration to only MBBS and BDS degree holders, immediately ceasing BMDC registration for MATS students, filling vacant positions by recruiting 10,000 doctors to address the shortage in the healthcare sector, and reinstating sixth-grade recruitment through the formation of a separate health commission.

The intern doctors also demanded the recruitment of 4,000 to 5,000 doctors annually to maintain balance in the healthcare sector. They proposed raising the age limit for BCS examinations for doctors to 34 years, shutting down all MATS institutions and low-quality public and private medical colleges, abolishing the SACMO title for MATS students and appointing them as medical assistants instead, transitioning MATS students to paramedics, and completely discontinuing MATS programmes. They also proposed implementing a law to ensure the protection of doctors.

When asked about the impact of the intern doctors' strike, two doctors from the paediatric ward declined to comment. However, a nurse told The Business Standard, "It's true that healthcare services are not entirely disrupted, but patients are not receiving treatment as quickly as before. Those who are on duty are facing an increased workload."

According to CMCH authorities, around 200 intern doctors are assigned to various wards. There are also 600 postgraduate trainees, 350 medical officers, assistant registrars, and registrars combined, along with 350 assistant professors, associate professors, and professors. Intern doctors are responsible for round-the-clock medical services in the wards.

Ahmed Hasbain Joheb, an intern doctor at CMCH, told The Business Standard, "Our movement is ongoing. The strike will continue until our demands are met. The hearing on the writ petition is scheduled for Tuesday. Based on the outcome, we will decide our next course of action."

Brigadier Mohammad Taslim Uddin, director of CMCH, told The Business Standard, "The issue behind this movement is not just for the intern doctors; it concerns the entire medical community. I have conveyed this to them and urged them to call off the strike."

Regarding healthcare services, he said, "Instructions have been given to all wards. Everyone has been asked to remain present at their workplaces to ensure that healthcare services are not disrupted. Necessary measures have been taken to maintain uninterrupted medical care."