Doctors seek judicial inquiry after Quetta acid attack case

QUETTA: Senior doctors have condemned the acid attack on Dr Mah Noor Naser and called for a judicial inquiry into the incident, while also demanding the removal of the Balochistan health secretary and the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital Quetta.

The demands were made during a press conference held on Saturday at the Young Doctors Association (YDA) camp, where Professor Dr Ishaq Durani said the government and hospital administration had failed to ensure the safety of women doctors and secure the hospital premises.

Speaking at the press conference, Dr Durani described the attack as an assault on the dignity of the medical community and said the matter could not be treated as routine. He also criticised the suspension of doctors who had taken part in the protest over the incident.

Attributing a personal connection to the case, Dr Durani said Dr Mah Noor Naser had worked with him for the past two years. He said the attack had deeply disturbed him despite his 27 years of service and urged authorities to handle the matter with seriousness.

Dr Durani also warned that the incident should not be seen in isolation, saying any other doctor could face a similar situation in the future if effective action was not taken.

He said the doctors wanted both the secretary health and the Civil Hospital medical superintendent removed from office and a judicial probe launched into what he called a tragic incident.

"The attack on Dr Mah Noor is an attack on our honour which we cannot tolerate," Dr Durani said at the press conference.

"This is not a minor incident that we can ignore by simply folding our hands. Such an incident can happen to any other doctor tomorrow," he further said.

The doctors also raised concern over what they described as a fresh security threat inside the hospital. According to the information shared at the press conference, a separate room had been set aside for female postgraduate doctors, but an unidentified individual later wrote a threatening message on the door.

The message, doctors said, mentioned a woman doctor by name and warned that no one else should use the room. They described the writing as a serious threat that should not be ignored.

Security concerns at hospital

The press conference focused not only on the acid attack but also on broader concerns about workplace safety in public hospitals. The doctors said the latest threatening message had reinforced fears about the security of female medical staff within hospital premises.

They said the incident reflected continuing vulnerabilities for doctors, particularly women, and pressed for concrete steps to improve protection at Civil Hospital Quetta.