Private postgraduate doctors threaten strike over allowance increase

Private postgraduate doctors have issued an ultimatum till 12 June demanding an increase in their monthly allowance or else they will go on strike starting from 13 June.

The doctors argue that the current monthly allowance of Tk20,000 is inadequate and should be raised to Tk50,000 to align with market rates.

The announcement was made during a press conference held at the National Press Club yesterday, with psychiatrist Major (retd) Abdul Wahab Minar of Kumudini Women's Medical College as the chief guest.

"The government is talking about providing good medical services to the people of the country, but the life of the doctor who will provide that service is inhuman and miserable - they are living in very fragile conditions today," he said.

"We demand to increase the allowance of private postgraduate doctors to Tk50,000 immediately," Habibur Rahman Sohag, a postgraduate doctor of Chittagong Medical College, said in a written statement.

"If the demand is not met by noon on 12 June, they [private postgraduate doctors] will go on a nationwide strike on 13 June," the statement added.

It also said that the cost to provide salaries to the postgraduate doctors would go up only Tk9 crore if all postgraduate doctors are paid Tk50,000 a month.

BSMMU non-resident doctor Mahmuda Rahman alleged that they have to go through a lot of hassle at the ministry to collect the existing allowance.   

Benazir Belal Khan, a postgraduate doctor at Sir Salimullah Medical College, said, "The government has a strict policy that we cannot work outside during this training period."

He explained that, as a result, the doctors cannot meet the cost of living with the current salary as commodity prices have gone up significantly.

Maj (retd) Abdul Wahab urged, "The government should accept their demands and help them focus on their medical services".