Postgraduate trainees, interns go for strike over pay hike

Post-graduate trainees and intern doctors went on a 48-hour strike at all government medical college hospitals across the country over payment of arrears and allowance hikes.

Moreover, the post-graduate doctors threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Monday if their demands were not met.

Hospital authorities said due to the work abstention of the huge number of health professionals, regular services in the hospitals were hampered.

Around 7,000 postgraduate trainees and 3,500 intern doctors joined the strike and abstained from discharging their duties.

Protesters said their strike would continue to press home their four-point demands including the increase of allowance to Tk50,000 from existing Tk20,000 for postgraduate trainee doctors and Tk30,000 from Tk15,000 for interns. 

The demands also include enacting a law for the prevention of violence against doctors.

Dr Jabir Hossain, president of the Post Graduate Private Trainee Doctors Association, told TBS, "We had a meeting with Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen at his secretariat office on Sunday. But he failed to specify a date to meet our demands, forcing us to continue the strike." 

In Dhaka, the intern doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital went on strike on Sunday. The hospital has 240 intern doctors and 1000 postgraduate trainees in different shifts.

Meanwhile, interns at Cumilla Medical College Hospital also abstained from continuing their work schedule.

Postgraduate trainees and intern doctors at Chattogram Medical College Hospital staged a protest at the hospital's main gate. The strike caused inconvenience for patients seeking treatment. 

Al Amin Islam, a postgraduate trainee doctor, said "We have been protesting for a week but ignored our demands. Now we are forced to strike." 

Interns at Rangamati Medical College Hospital also went on strike. Besides, postgraduates and interns at Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) also joined the strike demanding a salary increase.

The strike has put a strain on hospital staff, with regular doctors struggling to manage the surge in patients (almost tripled) with limited manpower. Patients have reported being deprived of service since Saturday night.

Hussain Shafayat, acting director of KMCH, said the hospital has 500 beds but currently houses around 1,500 patients. Managing the patient load is easier with the support of interns. Regular doctors have been assigned additional duties due to the strike.