Balochistan suspends 23 doctors amid ongoing strike in Quetta

QUETTA: The Balochistan Health Department has suspended 23 doctors and issued show-cause notices to 25 officers as it moved against young doctors involved in an ongoing protest and strike in Quetta.

According to a spokesperson for the provincial health department, the action was taken over alleged violations of rules and regulations, participation in what the department described as an illegal strike, anti-disciplinary conduct and breaches of departmental decorum. The department also suspended, with immediate effect, the registrations of five trainee doctors linked to the postgraduate training programme and started a formal inquiry against them.

The department said the measures were taken amid concern over disruption to patient care at public hospitals across Balochistan. It also directed that all government health facilities in the province must remain fully functional, warning that any employee absent from essential services, including emergency wards, intensive care units and operation theatres, would face immediate disciplinary action.

All doctors and paramedical staff have been instructed to continue performing their duties, with the department warning of strict legal action in cases of non-compliance.

A senior health official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government would not allow patient care to be undermined during the protest. "Patients' lives cannot be put at risk. The right to protest is there, but it cannot be turned into a means of causing suffering to patients," he said.

Committee formed to review security situation

Separately, the Balochistan government has constituted a high-level review committee on the recommendation of senior doctors to examine the security situation in health institutions across the province.

The committee will include senior provincial government officials, senior doctors, representatives of the Health Department and security officials. The move comes as the government signals that it is prepared to examine security-related concerns raised by the medical community alongside disciplinary measures linked to the strike.

Confirming the committee’s formation, the additional chief minister of Balochistan said the government would address doctors’ concerns but would not permit disruption to the health system under the cover of protest. "Any security lapses that come to light will be rectified immediately," he added.