Chittagong Medical College intern doctors threaten indefinite strike over training policy and allowance demands
Photo Collected
Intern doctors at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) staged a protest and human chain on Thursday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a recent Ministry of Health notice regarding FCPS training. The demonstrators, organized under the Intern Doctors Association, warned that they will initiate an indefinite work stoppage across all medical colleges in the country starting Saturday if their six-point list of demands is not met.
The unrest stems from directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which included the suspension of new postings in certain departments at Dhaka Medical College and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, the implementation of a mandatory two-year service period in sub-districts, and a proposal to limit training stipends based on merit. Protesters decried these measures as unjust and disconnected from the practical realities of medical training.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Following the protest at the hospital’s main gate, the association submitted a memorandum to the hospital director. They have issued an ultimatum, giving authorities until Friday night to address their grievances. Should the government fail to act, the association plans to escalate the movement to include a complete shutdown of emergency services.
The association’s president, Sakib Hossain, stated that the group is prepared to withdraw the protest if their “logical demands” are met. However, he emphasized that the medical community has reached a breaking point. Other leaders present, including General Secretary Zaman Mohammad Nurshad, characterized the decision to limit stipends to only 1,000 trainees as discriminatory.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The six-point charter of demands includes the retraction of the May 19 circular regarding FCPS training within 48 hours and the formulation of new guidelines. Furthermore, the doctors are calling for the enactment of a healthcare worker protection law, the implementation of a 30,000 BDT monthly stipend for interns, and a separate pay structure for government doctors.
Additional demands include raising the age limit for the BCS health cadre entry to 34 years, transforming the BMDC Act-2025 into a full-fledged law, and implementing stringent legal measures against individuals masquerading as physicians. The association also requested that all admission examination fees under the BMDC and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University be capped at 1,000 BDT.
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