Did not do anything to get suspended: Kuwait Maitree Hospital doctor

Six doctors of Kuwait-Bangladesh Maitree Hospital were temporarily suspended on Saturday over allegations that some of the doctors refused to treat coronavirus patients while some others had remained absent from work without prior notice.

Sharmin Hossain, a junior consultant at the gynaecology department of the hospital is among the six suspended doctors. 

"I had been treating COVID-19 patients for two months. I never said that I won't treat them. I knew what I was doing," she told The Business Standard. 

"I'm being harassed both mentally and socially even though I have done nothing worth it. My name, photo, mobile number got viral on Facebook. People are saying bad things about the doctors," she added.

Sharmin went to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Sunday to submit an application, with copies of work roaster and attendance sheet attached to it as pieces of evidence that she did her duties properly. 

"Even the officials at the DGHS told me that they can't do anything about the social and mental pressure I am going through," she said adding that the officials, however, assured her of forwarding her application to the health ministry.

Sharmin claimed that she did her duties at the hospital regularly and that she had never thought that she would get suspended. 

"One of my colleagues told me on Saturday noon that I may get suspended. I immediately went to the hospital supervisor and asked him about it. He told me that my name was written there mistakenly and that he would fix it after attending a phone call," she said. 

"But later, I heard that I got suspended," she further said. 

Earlier on Sunday, Sharmin came on a Facebook live and said that the supervisor sent her name to the DGHS mentioning that she expressed her inability to treat Covid-19 patients. But she never made such remarks in front of anyone.

The doctor said that she did her duty from April 1 to April 7.

Doctors of different institutes shared Sharmin's Facebook live and criticised the DGHS for its action.

The DGHS circular that was issued suspending Sharmin and five other doctors was signed by its director (admin) Dr Md Belal Hossain.

Contacted over phone, Dr Belal said he was in a meeting and that he would talk about this later.