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