Patients suffer as national eye hospital services remain shut for fourth day

Medical services at the National Institute of Opthalmology & Hospital (NIOH) have remained on hold for the fourth straight day following an altercation between its staff and those injured in the July Uprising.

The disruption left those seeking treatment in the lurch, forcing many who arrived from outside Dhaka to return to their hometowns.

The hospital staff went on strike early on Wednesday demanding additional security after a clash broke out between them and injured members of the July Uprising admitted at the facility. At one point, family members of patients visiting the outpatient department joined in. Army personnel arrived at the scene in the afternoon and tried to bring the situation under control, although it was not fully contained until the evening.

Since Wednesday morning, all kinds of medical services at the hospital have been suspended.

On Saturday, people seeking treatment were still arriving at the facility, only to find its gates locked.

Halima Begum brought her father Kala Chan, who is in his seventies, from Rajbari with one of her uncles.

She told bdnews24.com that they left Rajbari at 3am and reached the hospital at 9am, but found the entrance closed.

"We had come here last Saturday as well. The doctors saw my father and let him get some tests done, and they gave us an appointment today. For three people, we spent Tk 1,500 [on transport], and it will cost another Tk 1,500 to return. We’re poor so where are we going to get so much money?"

Abdullah Al Noman, an 8-year-old child from Dhaka's Bhasantek, suffered an eye injury from a fishing hook. His relatives arrived at the hospital with the child in a rickshaw.

The closed gates of the hospital, however, forced them to reroute to Ispahani Islamia Eye Hospital after a brief wait.

The child's father, Azharul Islam, said: "He went fishing with other kids at the Benarshi Palli lake in Bhasantek. A fishing hook somehow got stuck in his eye. I arrived here to take it out, now I find the hospital closed."

Having arrived from Naldanga in Natore, Hafizur Rahman said his 12-year-old daughter had an eye surgery scheduled.

"There aren't any doctors here. What will happen if my daughter is not treated? Who will take responsibility if there is any damage to her eyes?"

A female employee at the hospital, who asked not to be named, said many doctors and nurses were injured in the clash with the July Uprising victims on Wednesday, affecting their sense of safety at the hospital.

“I was also trapped with everyone that day, the army arrived and rescued me. They want to run the entire hospital as they see fit. What didn’t we do for them?” she said.

“Many of them were sent abroad for treatment. Now they have taken sir [department chief] hostage and will have to write a referral for everyone to go abroad. They have taken the entire hospital hostage.”

Acting Director Dr Jane Alam was not available for comment.

Lt Col (retd) Akbar Kamal, chief executive officer of the July Foundation, told bdnews24.com that doctors and staff were injured in Wednesday’s clash and a resolution was being sought through discussions with both sides.

“The July [injured] presented a list of eight to 10 hospital employees. They say that except for those few, no one else was barred from coming to the hospital and providing services.

“We are also trying to convince them that people are suffering because the hospital is closed. We are also in regular contact with the health ministry on the issue. I hope a proper solution will be found.”

Earlier, on Sunday, the NIOH authorities said that four people injured in the July Uprising had attempted to commit suicide by ingesting poison. They were sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.

On Tuesday, a group of injured in the July movement attempted suicide outside the director’s office at the institute as they pushed for multiple demands. During this time, they held the director captive in his office for about an hour and a half. The situation eased after army personnel arrived.

Police said some of the protesters were preparing to set themselves on fire by pouring kerosene and petrol on themselves.

Hospital staff went on a work stoppage on Wednesday morning demanding security after the director was detained and the injured attempted suicide.

It was followed by the clash between the group from the July Movement and hospital staff. Later, relatives of patients who had come to the outpatient department for medical care joined the injured.