QUETTA: Young doctors from across the country have condemned the arrest of 19 doctors who were detained last week for staging a sit-in and blocking roads linking the city’s Red Zone with other areas.

Speaking at a joint press conference on Saturday, Young Doctors Association’s (YDA) leaders lamented that the arrested doctors had not been released despite the passage of one week.

YDA members, along with paramedical and nursing staff associations, had been staging a protest sit-in near the Red Zone, blocking all roads leading to the governor and the chief minister houses and the Balochistan Civil Secretariat for acceptance of their demands.

The doctors have been demanding improvement in government hospitals’ conditions, provision of medicines for patients, installation of modern medical equipment in hospitals and security of doctors and paramedical staff.

During Saturday’s press conference, YDA leaders said the association’s general body would meet on Monday (tomorrow) in which important decisions would be taken about the next course of action. “We may consider the chief minister’s resignation,” they said.

The press conference was addressed by YDA leaders from Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. “The government considered our demands justified but it isn’t ready to implement them which forced young doctors to protest and boycott,” they said.

YDA Chairman Dr Hafeez Mandokhail said the government and the opposition had failed to address the situation. “People are suffering but the rulers have closed their eyes and ears,” he said. “We are considering all options, including resignations, protests and shutting down the emergency.”

Dr Mudassar Nawaz, the president of YDA’s Punjab chapter, said they would protest the arrests by wearing black armbands.

On the occasion, the YDA leaders vowed that they would not hold talks with anyone until the arrested doctors were released. They said they would keep protesting for their colleagues and whatever action plan is decided on Monday, they would stand by YDA Pakistan and support its cause.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2021