QUETTA : The Young Doctors Association (YDA) continued its strike in Balochistan on Friday, intensifying protests over security concerns following an acid attack on lady doctor Dr. Mah Noor Nasir.
Addressing a press conference at a protest camp set up at Civil Hospital Quetta, YDA leader Dr. Palwasha Raheem Kakar demanded that the government use all available resources to ensure the protection of doctors and improve hospital security.
Dr. Palwasha said Dr. Mah Noor Nasir, the victim of the acid attack, was her close friend, adding that the incident had deeply affected female doctors and created widespread fear within the medical community. She noted that the absence of proper security at Civil Hospital had made it difficult for both male and female doctors to perform their duties.
The YDA leader criticized the Health Secretary and the Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital for failing to address doctors’ concerns following the attack. She alleged that instead of taking action against responsible officials, the government had begun dismissing doctors and staff, calling it an act of retaliation.
Despite the strike, Dr. Palwasha announced that protesting doctors would continue providing free treatment to patients at private clinics during the work stoppage, keeping public difficulties in mind.
Meanwhile, National Party leader and Deputy Parliamentary Leader Mir Rehmat Saleh Baloch expressed solidarity with the protesting doctors and demanded a transparent judicial inquiry into the acid attack. Speaking at Civil Hospital, he said the government’s response had failed to satisfy both the public and the medical community. He warned that if serious and effective measures were not taken, political parties and the public would be forced to launch protests.
