United News of Bangladesh

Intern doctors at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital (SOMCH) on Sunday began an indefinite strike and sit-in programme, demanding the withdrawal of a recent government decision on FCPS training, increased allowances for intern and trainee doctors, and implementation of their six-point charter of demands. The protest started around 11am in front of the hospital's administrative building, according to the Intern Doctors Association. Despite the strike, emergency services, including the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Coronary Care Unit (CCU), remain outside the purview of the work stoppage. The protesting doctors said their primary demand is the cancellation of a directive issued on May 19 by the Health Education and Family Welfare Division regarding FCPS training. They urged the authorities to withdraw the decision within 48 hours and issue fresh instructions. Among their other demands are raising the age limit for entry into the BCS health cadre to 34 years, enacting a Health Worker Safety Act to ensure the security of doctors, increasing the monthly allowance for intern doctors to Tk 30,000 and for private trainee doctors to Tk 50,000. They also called for the introduction of a specific salary structure for private doctors, strict action against fake practitioners through turning the BMDC Ordinance-2023 into law, and reducing the admission test fee for BCPS and Bangladesh Medical University to a maximum of Tk 1,000. The intern doctors said that despite playing a vital role in the country's healthcare system, medical professionals have long faced discrimination, neglect and insecurity. "We have been compelled to launch this movement to realise our legitimate demands," one of the protesters said. Leaders of the Intern Doctors Association described the demands as reasonable and justified, saying doctors continue to work under difficult conditions while carrying significant responsibilities. They said all emergency services remain operational during the programme and warned of tougher action if their demands are not addressed quickly. "If effective steps are not taken to implement our demands, the indefinite strike and sit-in programme will continue," a leader of the association said.