Balochistan: Doctors demand PPE, government beats them up and puts them behind bars

QUETTA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan on Monday organised a peaceful protest in front of the CM house in Quetta – capital of Balochistan over lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for doctors and other health workers.

A large number of doctors and other health workers took to streets holding placards inscribed with slogans against the provincial government and demanding protect gear to fight against Coronavirus.

The CM on the other hand, instead of resolving the issue peacefully send the ‘anti riot’ police armed with rifles and batons to break the protest.

Socail media activists and journalist who witness the police brutality against the doctors have posted video footages and picture where the police can be clearly been thrashing the doctors and paramedics.

The activists also stormed Twitter using hashtag #ProtectDoctorsOfBalochistan to share the information about protest and urged all concern quarters to take notice of provincial government failure and police violence against peaceful protesters.

Dr Abdul Rahim Babar, a spokesman for the Young Doctors Association (YDA) said the failure to supply safety gear to doctors and medical staff is putting their lives at risk.

“A dozen doctors have been infected while other medical staff is also suffering,” Rahim said. He added that a number of protesters were injured in the incident during today’s police attack.

However, a spokesman for the provincial government said that the doctors protesting were not the ones who are fighting the virus, adding hospitals in Quetta had been provided protective gear.

“The doctors protesting don’t look after coronavirus patients; we don’t understand their justification for protesting,” Balochistan government spokesman Liquat Shahwani said.

Pakistan has reported over 3,200 coronavirus cases so far, including 50 deaths. As many as 191 of these cases have been confirmed in Balochistan province, of which Quetta is the capital.

“Yes, police arrested dozens of protesting doctors today,” Quetta Deputy Inspector General of Police Razzaq Cheema said, according to Dawn, while denying allegations of the police using force against the protestors. He added that “a scuffle broke out after the medics tried to cross barricades near the Red Zone”.

On Saturday the Balochistan government suspended 44 doctors over ‘failure to join duty in Taftan’ during the coronavirus outbreak in the province.

Provincial government Focal Person for Coronavirus Prevention Umair Hasni announced this during a press conference at Deputy Commissioner office in Dalbandin.
Government had suspended 12 doctors earlier over their failure to report for duty.

Besides, it will ensure strict action against doctors who refuse to render services during the health emergency,” said Hasni, adding coronavirus patients needed the care of medics in Taftan. Hasni apprised journalists about a container town established in Taftan which had the capacity to accommodate 600 pilgrims returning from Iran for quarantine.

Meanwhile, the Amnesty International (South Asia) have demanded for the immediate release of detained doctors and said they must be provided with the protection and support they need.

The Amnesty also said in their brief twitter message, ‘Their arrests in Balochistan today are an attack on their right to peaceful protest and affront to the risk they face.’