QUETTA: The Baloch Doctors’ Forum (BDF) has expressed serious concern over health department’s conditions in the province and said that it is not known who is running the health department’s affairs as no one is taking responsibility for improving the situation.

After seeing the miserable condition of the health department in the province, it seems the department has no head, a spokesman for the recently-formed Baloch Doctors Forum said on Sunday.

The head of the department is supposed to be a minister, but the minister appears to have been forcibly given this ministry as he has shown no interest in the department’s affairs since day one and he is just waiting for his term to end, the BDF alleged.

Similarly, other officers also take no interest in health department’s affairs to the extent that even a simple leave application remains pending for months without any action being taken on it, the BDF said.

It added that only the work of political and influential individuals is being given priority.

“A mafia has made the health department hostage as some individuals, hiding behind a doctors’ organisation, are using blackmail and bargaining to obtain personal benefits from the department,” the spokesman said.

He said the forum has expressed concerns about such blackmailers and extortionist mafias from the very beginning.

The spokesman said they have been compelled to reveal such matters in media so to clarify that not all doctors are the same.

There are only a few bad apples who are trying to spoil the entire system, they added.

These individuals are illegally arranging postings, transfers, and deputations by making deals for two months’ salary from doctors and using the name of an organisation, the spokesman said.

The BDF said that senior officers are being stripped of their powers and juniors are being rewarded.

The spokesman demanded top authorities, especially the CM to address the health department’s issues on a priority.

The BDF said it is ready to provide all possible assistance to the government in providing health facilities to the poor at their doorstep, but any injustice against Baloch doctors, and par­a­medics will not be tolerated.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2024