By Our Staff Reporter
QUETTA: Police arrested several doctors protesting against non-availability of personal protective equipment at the Red Zone near chief minister Balochistan Secretariat on Monday. A large number of young doctors marched from civil hospital to the Red Zone to stage a protest demonstration outside the CM Secretariat. However, police stopped the protesting doctors from protesting outside the CM Secretariat. The Young Doctors Association (YDA) announced boycott from all services across the province. The YDA President, Dr. Yasir Achakzai strongly criticized the government and claimed police used force against peaceful protesters.
Doctors protest has come a day after 13 doctors in Balochistan’s civil and BMC hospitals contracted the coronavirus.
The protest resulted in a clash between police and protesters and finally, the protesting doctors were pushed back. “We have taken dozens of doctors in custody”, Razzaq Cheema, the Deputy Inspector General of Police told Quetta Voice.
The doctors have been whisked away in awaiting police vehicles and shifted them to various police stations in Quetta. The arrested doctors include spokesman Young Doctors Association Balochistan, Dr. Rahim Babar, Dr. Hanif Luni and others.
“We allowed the doctors to hold peaceful protest but they turned violent”, the DIG Police said. However, the charge was vehemently denied by protesting doctors. “We believe in peaceful protest and demand PPEs”, Dr. Rahim Babar tells Quetta Voice via telephone.
