Doctors threaten to leave Balochistan

Published October 10, 2013
Patients waiting for doctors in the OPD of Civil Hospital as doctor’s go on strike.Doctors working for government-run hospitals are on strike for the last six days and have even threatened to migrate to other provinces in case Dr Tareen, who was kidnapped some 22 days ago, was not recovered soon. — Photo by INP
Patients waiting for doctors in the OPD of Civil Hospital as doctor’s go on strike.Doctors working for government-run hospitals are on strike for the last six days and have even threatened to migrate to other provinces in case Dr Tareen, who was kidnapped some 22 days ago, was not recovered soon. — Photo by INP

QUETTA: Local doctors criticised the government and the law enforcement agencies on Wednesday over non-recovery of heart specialist Dr Munaf Tareen who was kidnapped some 22 days ago.

They said the failure to trace the whereabouts of Dr Tareen was reflective of the authorities’ indifference towards the case.

Doctors working for government-run hospitals are on strike for the last six days and have even threatened to migrate to other provinces in case Dr Tareen is not recovered soon.

Dr Haqdad Tareen, a member of core committee of the Balochistan chapter of Pakistan Medical Association, said at a press conference that Dr Munaf Tareen was kidnapped on Sept 17 but so far the government had done almost nothing to trace his whereabouts.

Acknowledging that patients visiting the out-patient departments of Civil Hospital, Bolan Medical Complex and the Sanatorium had to face all kinds of problems because of the ongoing strike, Dr Tareen said the doctors simply had no other means of pressurising the government to take interest in the kidnapping case.

He added that six doctors had already left Balochistan for other provinces and if the situation did not improve soon the remaining doctors would also be forced to migrate to other areas.

Dr Saadat Khan, Dr Iqbal Tareen, Dr Naqibullah Achakzai, Dr Qurban Bugti, Dr Faizullah Hashmi, Dr Daud Shah and Dr Ghulam Rasool were also attended the press conference.

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