The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan declared an indefinite boycott of outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective medical services in public hospitals across the province starting Monday. This decision follows a province-wide protest movement triggered by an acid attack on a female doctor at Quetta’s Civil Hospital.
On Sunday, the YDA along with the Young Doctors Action Committee held protest rallies in Quetta and other cities, demanding the immediate dismissal of the provincial health secretary and the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital. They accused these officials of criminal negligence concerning the security of hospital staff.
Dr Mah Noor Nasir, the victim of the acid attack, was assaulted during her shift on Friday. She was airlifted to Karachi for specialized treatment, where medical staff confirmed she suffered burns covering 13 percent of her body. Although her condition is stable and her eyesight remains intact despite some corneal clouding, she will require extensive plastic surgery.
At a press conference in Quetta, Dr Tahir Musa Khel, head of the Young Doctors Action Committee, highlighted the worsening safety conditions for doctors and healthcare workers in both rural and urban areas. He noted that prior to Dr Mah Noor’s attack, another female doctor in the gynecology department was physically assaulted and had her hair pulled.
“Doctors are being subjected to severe disregard and threats,” Musa Khel stated. “We demand a comprehensive security strategy for all government hospitals as we cannot continue working under constant fear for our lives.”
The strike persists despite the provincial government’s announcement that the attacker, Humayun Shah, was killed by security forces within 30 minutes of the incident. However, the medical community remains skeptical about the rapid killing, questioning whether it was a straightforward case or if others were involved.
“The suspect’s killing has raised more questions than it has answered,” Musa Khel remarked, urging an impartial judicial inquiry to explore potential motives beyond a random act of violence.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Home Department Adviser Babar Khan Yousafzai appealed to doctors to exercise restraint and resume work, warning that the boycott would ultimately harm poor patients. He emphasized that hospital ward security falls under the responsibility of hospital administration and the health department, not the police, who are only stationed at external entrances.
In a significant development, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced a civil award for Abdul Razzaq, a medical technician injured while intervening to protect Dr Mah Noor from further harm. Both Dr Mah Noor and Abdul Razzaq are receiving state-funded medical care, with Dr Mah Noor currently in stable condition in Karachi.
The YDA has vowed to maintain its sit-in protest outside the Quetta Press Club until their administrative demands, particularly the removal of the health secretary, are fulfilled. Chief Minister Bugti is scheduled to meet with a delegation of doctors upon his return to Quetta on Tuesday.
