20 doctors, paramedics held after clash with police in Quetta

Published January 13, 2022
QUETTA: Policemen resort to baton-charge to disperse doctors moving towards the city’s Red Zone on Wednesday.—PPI
QUETTA: Policemen resort to baton-charge to disperse doctors moving towards the city’s Red Zone on Wednesday.—PPI

QUETTA: Police arrested 20 young doctors and paramedics on Wednesday after a clash which left 16 people injured on both sides.

The clash between the police and doctors started when the latter tried to enter the Red Zone for staging a sit-in to press for the acceptance of their demands.

As doctors were not allowed to enter the Red Zone they staged a sit-in for five hours outside the Quetta Civil Hospital.

The Young Doctors Association has announced a boycott of all emergency wards in all government hospitals in the province.

Young doctors, who have been boycotting OPDs for the last three months, had announced on Monday that they would hold a protest rally and stage a sit-in in the Red Zone where Chief Minister House, Governor House and other government offices were situated.

The doctors and paramedical staff took out a procession from the Quetta Civil Hospital and after marching on the adjacent road of the hospital started moving towards the Red Zone, chanting anti-government slogans.

However, at this stage a heavy contingent of police stopped them from entering the Red Zone, triggering a clash between doctors and police. The clash left six policemen and 10 doctors and paramedics injured.

The doctors have announced that except for cases being referred to CCU and labour rooms, the young doctors would not attend OPDs and all other emergencies in Balochistan.

Pay raise ruled out

In a related development, Balochistan Health Minister Syed Ahsan Shah refused to raise salaries of the doctors, saying it will cost Rs7 billion to the national exchequer.

The members of the Young Doctors Association have been protesting and asking the provincial government to increase their salaries.

Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House in Dalbandin, the minister said the doctors in Balochistan were being paid more than assistant commissioners.

Mr Shah said the demands of doctors were being considered by a high-level committee and its sub-committee was scheduled to meet on Thursday (today). “It is incomprehensible why the young doctors are protesting while the government is considering their demands.”

He urged the doctors to end their protest and return to their duties.

When asked about the baton-charge of the protesting doctors, the minister said the government was obliged to maintain law and order.

About the shortage of medicines in district hospitals, Mr Shah said the medicine purchasing authority was handed over to district health officers who were asked to submit their demands according to local needs.

Rakhshan Division Commissioner Saifullah Khetran and Chagai Deputy Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Baloch accompanied the minister at the press conference.

Ali Raza Rind in Chagai also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2022

Editorial

A hasty retreat
28 Nov, 2024

A hasty retreat

POLITICAL immaturity has cost the PTI dearly once again. It appears things may not have come to this had Bushra ...
Lebanon truce
28 Nov, 2024

Lebanon truce

WILL it hold? That is the question many in the Middle East and beyond will be asking after a 60-day ceasefire ...
MDR anomaly removed
28 Nov, 2024

MDR anomaly removed

THE State Bank’s decision to remove its minimum deposit rate requirement for conventional banks on deposits from...
Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...