MAKKAH, 31 July 2007 — A Bangladeshi patient died at a clinic in Makkah yesterday when over 200 Bangladeshi janitors ran riot, smashing glass bottles and throwing rocks at the clinic.
According to local police, the janitors had gathered at the clinic, which is run by the company they work for, to protest alleged bad medical treatment that, according to them, caused the death of a fellow worker.
Following reports of the riot, large numbers of police and special emergency units and a team from the Makkah Municipality moved into the area. Police took control of the crowd and transferred patients to the King Faisal Hospital in Al-Shesha.
Maj. Abdul Muhsin Al-Mayman, the official spokesman of Makkah police, said that the crowds were dispersed and that the workers were sent back to their company-run compound.
“The police are investigating the death of the worker with the manager of the clinic,” he said.
According to sources, the manager of the clinic has said that the worker died after suffering an epileptic fit while being administered an injection. “The forensic doctor is still examining the body to determine the cause of death. Police investigations will continue until the report is completed,” said Maj. Al-Mayman.
A large number of police officers had been deployed around the clinic to prevent workers from gathering again. The workers had smashed windows, equipment, desks and computers. Glass had been shattered everywhere and smashed bottles of medicines were strewn across the floor.
A Bangladeshi worker at the compound where the janitors live told Arab News, “We are neglected by this company and no one listens to us or cares about us. It’s because of this clinic’s neglect that one of our colleagues died. We’ve tried talking to our managers many times but they never listen to our demands. We’re going on strike until they start listening to us.”
