Pabna 250-Bed Hospital: Intern nurses continue work abstention

Intern nurses at Pabna 250-bed General Hospital went on an indefinite work abstention protesting an attack on their fellow nurse.

Raja Hossain, a second-year student at Ichhamati Nursing Institute, was assaulted by a broker named Saddam Hossain on the hospital premises on Tuesday.

The victim, who has been working at the hospital as part of his academic programme, filed a case with Pabna Police Station in this connection yesterday, two days after the incident.

According to Raja, locally influential broker Saddam took Tk 600 from a patient for an electrocardiogram test and started to bargain in the ward.

"As I asked Saddam to leave the ward, he became angry and assaulted me. Saddam and his men also threatened to stab me outside the hospital," Raja said.

"I am concerned about my safety," he added.

Protesting the attack on Raja, the Pabna district unit of Bangladesh Diploma Student Nurses Union (BDSNU), called for the work abstention programme at the hospital on Tuesday.

Agitating nurses staged a protest rally in front of the hospital gate yesterday morning.

They demanded to make the hospital free from outsiders and brokers.

"There are over 500 nursing students who are getting training from the staff nurses as part of their academic activities. We are often harassed by outsiders and brokers. The students are now concerned about their safety," said Jahid Hossain, president of the BDSNU.

"We will continue our work abstention programme until the authorities concerned fulfil our eight-point demand," said Shahin Alom, secretary BDSNU.

Giving a 72-hour ultimatum, Shahin also said that they would go for a tougher movement if attacker Saddam and his men were not arrested immediately.

Contacted, Omor Faruk Meer, assistant director of Pabna 250-bed General Hospital, said they were trying to solve the issue.

"We have talked to police and local administration for arresting the culprits," he added.

Kripa Shindhu Bala, officer-in-charge of Pabna Police Station, said they were trying to arrest the culprits.

Meanwhile, the protest programme has been causing immense suffering to the patients for the last three days.

Staff nurses are not enough to manage the huge number of patients at the hospital, said Akhtar Banu Popy, nursing supervisor of the hospital.

"We are still trying our best," she said.