Medical services at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) have been disrupted after doctors halted work in protest of assaults and vandalism in the hospital’s emergency department. Starting Sunday morning, doctors suspended emergency services, citing concerns over their safety.

The work stoppage began early today and has affected not only the emergency department but also other divisions of the hospital. As a result, the emergency doctor’s chamber remains closed, and the hospital’s outpatient services have also been suspended. Nurses are continuing to attend to critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but overall, the hospital’s operations have come to a standstill.

Patients seeking treatment at the hospital are facing significant difficulties due to the doctors’ strike. Those already admitted, as well as new patients in need of urgent care, are particularly affected.

The strike was sparked by an incident on Saturday when three doctors from the Neuro Surgery department were assaulted. Following the attack, doctors issued an ultimatum, demanding the arrest of those responsible within 24 hours. However, the doctors decided to go on strike before the deadline expired, expressing their frustration and concern for their safety.

The violence on Saturday began after the death of Ahsanul Haque Dipto, a 23-year-old student from the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), who was being treated at Dhaka Medical following a motorcycle accident in the Cantonment area.

After Dipto’s death, his relatives accused the hospital staff of medical negligence and assaulted a doctor, leading to a tense standoff at the hospital that lasted from the afternoon into the night.

Further exacerbating the situation, a violent clash between two groups in the Sipahibagh area of Khilgaon on Saturday led to several injured individuals being brought to DMCH for treatment. During the incident, members of one group reportedly entered the emergency department armed with machetes, attacking the other group, leading to five people being injured.

Four people involved in the attack were detained and handed over to army personnel, said Bachu Mia, In-Charge of the DMCH police outpost. Simultaneously, a patient who had ingested poison was declared dead by physicians in the emergency department. In response, the patient’s relatives vandalized the emergency room.

Following the repeated attacks on the hospital and doctors, the strike is being observed demanding security of the physicians and other staff members of DMCH.