Balochistan doctors’ strike enters 21st day

QUETTA: Outpatient departments at government hospitals across Balochistan remained closed on Sunday as doctors continued a protest over the recent acid attack on a female colleague, extending a shutdown that has now entered its 21st day.

The strike is being led by the Pakistan Medical Association’s Quetta Zone and the Young Doctors Association. The prolonged closure of OPD services has left thousands of low-income patients without access to routine medical care, with many elderly patients, women and children returning home untreated from public hospitals.

Emergency units, indoor wards, operation theatres and dialysis centres are still functioning, but attendants have expressed frustration over the continued suspension of outpatient services and the impact on people dependent on government hospitals.

Doctors seek judicial inquiry

In a statement, a spokesperson for PMA Quetta Zone voiced concern over what the association described as a lack of progress in the investigation into the acid attack. The spokesperson said that despite the passage of three weeks, the provincial government had neither brought those responsible to justice nor seriously addressed the demands raised by doctors.

The association said its demands were constitutional and reasonable, and called for a transparent and impartial judicial inquiry into the incident. It also demanded that the provincial health secretary and the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital Quetta be removed from their positions until the completion of the inquiry, saying this was necessary to prevent any interference in the process.

The PMA also criticised the provincial government for suspending and initiating disciplinary proceedings against more than 30 senior doctors and officers. The association described the action as unfair and said it amounted to an insult to the wider medical community.

Further protests under consideration

A general body meeting of PMA members is scheduled to be held at Civil Hospital Quetta on Monday to determine the next phase of the protest. According to the statement, the options under consideration include expanding the agitation and staging a long march to Islamabad.

The association has also announced a protest rally at Civil Hospital Quetta on Tuesday and urged doctors and medical organisations to join in large numbers to show unity and defend professional dignity.

The PMA appealed to the Balochistan chief minister, chief secretary, provincial health minister and the chief justice of Balochistan to intervene and ensure fair action in the matter.

“The doctors are only demanding security for their lives, transparent investigations and justice,” the association said in the statement.

The statement added that the government should address the matter through dialogue rather than delay so that full medical services for the public can be restored.