The clash broke out at about 11:00am as a doctor allegedly beat up an employee for preventing his visitors from entering the hospital.

Three doctors and an employee were injured in the clash.

As the on-duty doctors went on a wildcat strike, indoor patients at the hospital and over a dozen seriously injured seeking admission to emergency ward suffered a lot. Many patients left for other hospitals in such a chaotic situation while many were seen lying without any care.

Sources said the clash began as Dr Monwar Hossain, a medical officer, engaged in an altercation with a gatekeeper at the hospital, Abdur Rahman, as he closed the gate during a routine visit by DMCH Director Brig Gen Sarker MA Matin. Rahman stopped three visitors to Dr Monwar, saying entry to the hospital is restricted during the director's visit.

Angered by the incident, Dr Monwar rebuked the gatekeeper and at one stage, Abul Hossain, a ward master, turned up there and sided with the gatekeeper.

And this led to the clash between doctors and employees that continued for about half an hour. The two sides attacked each other creating panic among patients and their visitors.

Dr Monwar, Dr Zahid Hossain, Dr Khondakar Mehedi Hasan and Ward Master Abul Hossain suffered minor injuries in the clash.

Doctors at the hospital went on a strike from 2:30pm protesting what they said attacks by 'unruly' employees, and demanding punishment of the attackers and adequate security for doctors. The strike was however suspended after two hours following assurance from the DMCH director for proper inquiry.

During the strike, senior doctors as well as junior ones (interns) stopped all services at the hospital, including emergency services.

This correspondent found a number of critical patients waiting at the emergency wing for admission.

An unconscious patient named Momtaz Begum, 40, was referred by the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. Her relatives brought her to the DMCH at around 2:45pm but finding no doctor, they shifted her to Mitford Hospital. But they brought her back to the DMCH two hours later as Mitford Hospital refused to admit the brain haemorrhage patient.

Then she was getting treatment there, relatives said.

Sonia Akhter, a four-year-old girl, seriously injured in a road accident in Gazipur, was lying in an emergency bed but no doctor was there until 3:15pm. Her parents and relatives were seen crying helplessly.

"Situation is now under control and there is no strike of doctors," Sarker MA Matin told journalists later, declining to make any comment on the incident.

Hospital sources said a four-member inquiry committee has been formed and it will start work tomorrow (Saturday).

Dr Mamun Shibley, a former leader of intern doctors association at DMCH, said they have suspended their indefinite strike following assurance of inquiry by the higher authorities. "But we will resume our programme if the culprits are not punished. After inquiry, the authorities should take action against whoever is found guilty -- doctors or employees," he added.