Why strikes at hospitals should not be stopped

In the wake of frequent strikes by doctors, interns and nurses at hospitals, the High Court yesterday issued a rule upon the authorities concerned to explain in two weeks why they should not be directed to stop such work stoppages that cause suffering to patients.

The HC also asked the authorities to show cause as to why they should not be instructed to take legal action against those responsible for untoward incidents at hospitals involving doctors, nurses and patients' relatives. 

It ordered the authorities to explain why their inaction to stop such strikes should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice AKM Shahidul Huq issued the rule a day after Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ petition with the court.

The rights organisation sought the court's necessary orders to the respondents in this regard.

Twenty-three high officials, including the health secretary, chief of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), inspector general of police, and directors of government hospitals in Dhaka have been made respondents to the rule, petitioner's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star.

Strikes have become a common occurrence at hospitals, particularly at public hospitals across the country, with medical interns, doctors and nurses staying away from work on different grounds. They even hold patients hostage to their demands.

In March, physicians in Khulna division enforced a 24-hour strike protesting an alleged assault on one of their colleagues. They padlocked the gates of emergency departments of their respective hospitals during the strike, according to media reports.

On April 22, 2014, a patient died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital during a work stoppage by the interns over an untoward incident involving journalists and them. The patient's family members alleged that there was nobody to administer oxygen.

The rights body in the petition said doctors and nurses reportedly enforce strikes for different reasons, causing sufferings to patients.

It requested the court to direct the director general of the DGHS to form a three-member committee to monitor twice in a week if doctors and nurses enforced any strike at any hospital.