At least ten young doctors were injured and 25 including paramedics were arrested as the police on Wednesday baton-charged the protesting young white coats in Quetta, after the protesters tried to enter the provincial capital’s red zone, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Beaten black and blue, the young doctors and the paramedics shut down the emergencies in the city’s hospitals and later staged a sit-in near the Commissioner’s Office in Quetta.
The protesting doctors once again announced to enter the red zone and vowed to continue their protest until their demands were met.
Quetta SSP (Operations) claimed that the police asked the young doctors to remain peaceful but they ignored their request and many of them have now been arrested only after they entered into the no-go red-zone area.
A large contingent of the police force has been deployed near the Balochistan CM House in Quetta to thwart the advance of the protesters towards the CM House.
The protest site looked like a war zone as young doctors alleged that the police vehemently lathi-charged their colleagues.
In response, a number of protesters attacked the police too after which the officers dragged the protesters and pushed them into police vans. They have been taken to the Kharotabad and Cantt police stations.
Later, the assistant commissioner reached the protest site and started negotiations with the protesters.
Young doctors and paramedics across Balochistan have been protesting for over four months now. Their demands are: better facilities, cheap medicines, and proper machinery at hospitals.
Reporter Rizwan Saeed