Pakistan: Young doctors announce suspension of emergency facilities in Quetta

Quetta, July 1 (IANS) Protesting young doctors have announced the suspension of all emergency services and routine medical facilities in public sectors hospitals, including Civil Hospital Quetta, after they were stopped from holding a protest sit-in in Red Zone of capital of Pakistan’s southwestern province Balochistan, local media reported on Wednesday.

Doctors have been holding protest against the acid attack on a female doctor inside a hospital in Quetta.

Previously, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) leadership had announced a sit-in near the Red Zone to raise their demands, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported. However, ahead of the protest, the local authorities deployed heavy contingents of police at all gates of Civil Hospital and blocked roads leading to the Red Zone.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the authorities, doctors managed to reach Anscomb Road and tried to break through the police blockade but failed. They held protest and shouted slogans against the government before being turned back by police.

According to the doctors, the police manhandled some of their colleagues who were protesting. However, the police and local authorities have denied the allegations, stating that authorities had only blocked the roads and hospital gates.

Speaking to reporters, YDA Supreme Council chairman Dr Hafeez slammed authorities for stopping what he said was a peaceful protest, Dawn reported.

“Although the protesting doctors were carrying no weapons, we were not allowed to march towards the Red Zone,” he said.

Hafeez voiced concern over the suspension of Grade-19 and Grade-20 doctors over the past two years and spoke about the August 8 lawyers’ tragedy, noting that the perpetrators had not been held accountable. He added that the doctors were open to hold talks with the government and will announce their next course of action after mutual consultation.

Meanwhile, YDA leader Dr Bahar Shah announced a complete boycott of all medical services, including emergency care.

“In the current situation, we cannot continue working in hospitals,” Dr Shah said, claiming that the whole system was being used to protect certain officials, resulting in doctors forced to take tough decisions. The suspension of emergency services has raised serious concern among people, as critically ill patients who come to hospital for treatment face uncertainty amid the growing rift between the doctors and the government.

On June 17, a women’s rights movement, ‘Aurat March’ staged a protest outside the Islamabad Press Club against the acid attack on a female doctor at the Sandeman Civil Hospital in Quetta.

Human rights activists, political leaders, and representatives of various social organisations joined the demonstration, expressing solidarity with the victim, doctor Mah Noor Nasir, while strongly condemning the rising violence against women in the country.

During the demonstration, prominent human rights activist and Aurat March leader, Farzana Bari, voiced grave concern over the prevailing situation in the country.

“Too many incidents of violence against women are surfacing each day, showing us that this country is becoming like a graveyard for women, and the state and state institutions are completely failing to provide protection to us,” Pakistan’s digital media platform Voicepk.net quoted Bari as saying.

“We demand complete and proper medical treatment for Mahnoor. The police have killed the perpetrator, but I consider this to be unnecessary, as the police’s job is to arrest criminals while it is the job of the courts to sentence them. The patriarchal mindset has become so dangerous in Pakistan today that women are not safe in their homes, on the streets, or in their workplaces,” she added.

–IANS

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