Outpatient services at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) in Bogura came to a complete standstill on Thursday morning as intern doctors escalated their ongoing strike. Demonstrating doctors forcibly shut down the ticket counters at approximately 9:45 am, leaving hundreds of patients and their relatives stranded in queues. The sudden cessation of medical care triggered widespread anger, culminating in loud protests and heightened tensions on the hospital premises.

The disruption stems from a violent altercation that broke out on Tuesday night in the hospital’s medicine ward following the death of an admitted patient. The incident escalated into a clash between the deceased’s relatives and junior doctors, leaving several individuals from both sides injured. In response, the intern doctors initiated an indefinite work stoppage, demanding robust workplace security, proper legal action against the attackers, and a swift resolution to their four-point charter of demands.

The immediate impact fell heavily on vulnerable patients, many of whom had travelled considerable distances from rural regions. Kohinur Begum, a 55-year-old resident from Rajbari village in Sherpur Upazila, had arrived early in the morning seeking consultation from a neurologist. Having spent 200 taka on transport—a significant sum for her family—she found herself turned away without care. Unable to afford private consultations, she was forced to return home untreated, mirroring the plight of dozens of others who had queued for hours.

Attempting to restore order, hospital authorities tried to reopen the ticket counters later in the morning, but striking doctors blocked the initiative. The growing frustration amongst waiting crowd quickly boiled over into anti-doctor slogans. As the crowd faced off against the striking staff, police officers intervened promptly to defuse the volatile situation and restore calm.

Hospital management confirmed that while the outpatient department remains entirely non-functional, critical operations have not been abandoned.

• Emergency Services Operational: Emergency care, critical ward support, and inpatient services continue to function, overseen primarily by senior staff and regular medical officers.

• Core Demands: The striking interns insist that work will not resume until the administration guarantees physical protection for healthcare professionals on duty and holds perpetrators accountable.

• Administrative Response: Deputy Director Manjur-e-Murshed reaffirmed that emergency care remains uninterrupted and noted that efforts to resolve the stalemate are actively underway.

To address the growing crisis, the hospital administration convened a high-level stakeholder meeting on Thursday afternoon. The discussions brought together hospital leadership, senior doctors, nurses, civil administration officials, police representatives, and local political figures to broker a resolution, restore security, and reopen essential outpatient services to the public.