Online Desk: Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) has announced to stop private practice of doctors on July 17 (Monday) and July 18 (Tuesday) in protest against the arrest of two doctors of Dhaka Central Hospital. The doctors will not see any patient at their private chambers and suspend private operations on those two days.

The Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) and Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB) have jointly taken the decision. It has been stated in a press release signed by OGSB president Professor Dr Farhana Dewan and general secretary Professor Salma Rouf.

The press release reads that a meeting was held at the BMA president Dr Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin’s office in the capital on Saturday regarding the arrest of two doctors — Dr Shahzadi Mustarshida Sultana and Dr Muna Saha — of Dhaka Central Hospital. A three-day programme was adopted at the meeting.

According to the decision, doctors will form human-chain from 12 noon to 1:00pm at every medical college at district and upazila levels and at private hospitals on July 16. At the same time, the private chambers and private operations by all doctors will remain suspended from July 17 to July 18. Following the programmes, the OGSB will sit again with the BMA on July 18 and take decision for next movement.

In the second week of June last, a young woman named Mahbuba Rahman Akhi died along with her newborn following operation during her delivery. Dr Shahzadi and Dr Muna were arrested in connection with the incident. They are now in jail.

Pregnant Akhi was brought in Dhaka from Titas upazila in Cumilla at night of June 9 last and then admitted to Central Hospital under the hospital’s gynaecologist Dr Sangjukta Saha though she was outside the country at that time. The hospital authorities concealed the matter to the patient and her relatives. Being failed to do normal delivery of the patient, other doctors at the Gynaecology department conducted her wrong operation at night of June 11 which subsequently led to the death of Akhi’s newborn. Later, Akhi also died at LabAid Hospital.

Later, Akhi’s husband Yaqub Ali Sumon filed a case against the Central Hospital’s doctors bringing allegation of ‘death due to negligence.’ Police arrested Dr Shahzadi and Dr Muna from the hospital at night on June 15. Though the Central Hospital authorities have been blaming Dr Sangjukta Saha for the death of Akhi and her newborn, she has been blaming the hospital authorities.