The indoor medical officers of Birdem Hospital went on strike on June 25 following a notification regarding renewal of their job contracts. The doctors withdrew their strike on June 28 on consultants' request .

Doctors on strike at Birdem Hospital did not make any comments after the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh made its decision public yesterday. They said they would decide on the issue after their meeting scheduled for 7:30am today (Sunday).

The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh made the decision in a meeting held at Birdem Hospital last night.

The meeting decided that "Uniform Service Rule" for all doctors working in Birdem Hospital would be made effective within July after the National Council approves it. It also decided that policies on doctors' training and better service at the hospital would be modernised.

About 550 doctors are currently working in the 600-bed hospital, sources said. Doctors at the hospital said doctors working at the outdoor section of the hospital have permanent jobs there and a number of third and fourth-class employees also have permanent jobs, but the indoor doctors who joined after 1992 are working on contractual jobs.

Since 1992 Birdem authorities have been recruiting doctors on contract in the indoor section and had been renewing their jobs time to time.