The intern doctors of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital have called for an indefinite strike to protest against the vandalism of the hospital over the death of a patient.

The Intern Doctors' Council of the hospital called for an indefinite strike on Monday night to protest the incident.

Soon after the strike was announced, all the intern doctors started refraining from performing their duties at the hospital. Emergency activities are being disrupted due to the strike.

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It is known that a patient died while undergoing treatment in ward 35 of the hospital on Monday afternoon.

Over the incident, the doctors and nurses of the hospital and the relatives of the patient got into an argument.

The intern doctors alleged that the patient's relatives harassed the intern doctors and nurses on duty in the ward. The doctors ran to the nearby ward to defend themselves.

The patient's relatives then vandalised the doctor's and nurses' rooms inside the ward, they said.

Dr. Md. Mosakim, an intern doctor of the hospital, said such incidents are very common.

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“The patient's relatives cannot accept death. They attack doctors and ransack the hospital. It is not possible to perform duties in this way in insecurity.”

In a statement signed by Intern Doctors' Council President Md Rakib Hossain and General Secretary Seema Majumder, the council said the relatives of the deceased patients constantly tried to intimidate, threaten and physically harass the on-duty intern doctors.

“They then vandalized the hospital. This incident proves that there is no healthy working environment for doctors in the hospital. In this situation, an indefinite strike has been called at Osmani Medical College Hospital demanding adequate security for the intern doctors of the hospital and justice for the culprits,” the statement reads.

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Relatives of the deceased patient could not be reached for comment on allegations of harassment and vandalism.

Brigadier General Mahbubul Haque Bhuiyan, director of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, said the intern doctors have called for a strike in the wake of an unexpected incident.

The issue will be resolved through discussion. Measures will also be taken for the safety of the doctors, he said.