New Delhi. Many Indian doctors living in Bangladesh have decided to stay back in violence-hit Dhaka to perform their duty of saving lives even as their parents are worried about their safety. Several Indian doctors present in Bangladesh said that many hospitals in Dhaka are short of resources and doctors are overburdened due to the sudden surge in casualties. They told PTI that they are driven by a “sense of duty” and have decided to help hospitals deal with the current crisis.
A doctor from Srinagar, attached to a hospital in old Dhaka, said over the phone, “We are getting many patients who have injuries from shrapnel, bullets and knife wounds. The number of casualties has increased after fresh clashes between protesters and police on Monday night. There is a huge shortage of resources and we are working 17-18 hours a day.”
On Monday, hours after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and left the country, chaos descended across Bangladesh, leading to violence that has killed more than 100 people. Another doctor from Gujarat said, “Our parents are worried about our safety, but we took an oath to protect people’s lives when we completed our degree. It is our duty to serve them and the hospitals need us in these difficult times.”
However, doctors said the situation has improved as the curfew was lifted on Tuesday morning and shops, businesses and other establishments gradually started reopening. A doctor from Jammu and Kashmir and president of the Indian Medical Students’ Association in Bangladesh said, “There is no threat to foreign nationals in the current situation. I feel completely safe. The clashes are between protesters and political organizations. Those who are not part of the protests like me have no security concerns. There was no such thing as law and order till Monday. However, the situation improved on Tuesday. We are seeing people on the streets and businessmen resuming their work.”
Bangladesh, sheikh hasina
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 6, 2024, 22:53 IST
