Young doctors agree to reopen hospitals’ emergencies in Quetta

The first round of talks between the Young Doctors Association (YDA) and the Balochistan government remained successful as the YDA has agreed to resume work at hospital’s emergencies and trauma centres, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

Both sides will again hold talks today to resolve the contentious points. 

YDA’s Dr Hafeez Mandokhel said that the boycott of OPDs and indoor services at government hospitals will continue till the acceptance of young doctors’ demands.  

On the other hand, the government has also announced to release the doctors arrested during Wednesday’s protest.

The government side in the talks was led by provincial ministers Haji Noor Muhammad Dammar, Mir Naseeb Marri and Haji Mir Muhammad Khan Lahrri while the doctors’ side was represented by YDA President Hafeez Mandokhel and other officebearers.

On Wednesday, at least ten young doctors were injured and 25 others, including paramedics, were arrested as the police baton-charged the protesting young white coats in Quetta, after the protesters tried to enter the provincial capital’s red zone.

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 doctors once again announced to enter the red zone and vowed to continue their protest till their demands were met.

A large contingent of the police force had 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 baton-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 Cantonment police stations. 

Reporter Rizwan Saeed