Young doctors march for acceptance of their demands in Quetta
Manan Mandokhail :
Young doctors marched from civil hospital to the Red Zone in Quetta for acceptance of their demands on Monday. Dr. Hafeez Mandokhail, Dr. Samad Panezai, and others led the protesters chanting full-throated slogans in support of their demands.
It has been the third month since the doctors have been observing a boycott of OPDs in all government-run hospitals of Balochistan. Patients remained the worst sufferers of doctors’ strikes.
“Our struggle is for acceptance of our demands”, Dr. Mandokhail told reporters before leading the highly charged protesters. Police had closed the main gate of the civil hospital Quetta. However, the doctors succeeded in reopening the gate. The doctors came and staged the demonstration and later peacefully dispersed.
“Doctors have to call off their boycott since patients continue to suffer”, Syed Ehsan Shah
“Doctors have to call off their boycott since patients continue to suffer”, Syed Ehsan Shah, the Balochistan Health Minister said. He said the government was committed to addressing all grievances and accepting the demands of the protesting doctors.
Quetta administration had taken strict security measures to avert any untoward incident on the eve of the doctors’ protest. Baton-wielding policemen were deployed on all roads leading towards the Red Zone. “We will not allow the doctors to block the Red Zone”, Zohaib ul Hassan Siddiqui, Assistant Commissioner Quetta City said.
He said the protest is the right of the doctors but they have not to disrupt the movement of the people and vehicles.
YDA protest for last more than three months
Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan has been protesting in support of their demands for last more than two months. Several rounds of negotiations have been held between the doctors and the government. However, no breakthrough has been made in negotiations between doctors and the government.
