QUETTA: The Grand Health Alliance (GHA) on Saturday accused Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti of selling a government hospital in Dera Bugti in a deal worth Rs850 million and announced that its leaders would appear before the Balochistan High Court on Monday to present their grievances.

Speaking at a press conference, GHA Chairman Dr Bahar Shah criticised the provincial government for its alleged attempts to privatise public hospitals. He warned that if their demands were not met, the alliance would either cordon off the Red Zone or stage a sit-in outside the Balochistan Assembly. Leaders from 14 member organisations of the GHA also attended the press briefing.

A two-member bench of the Balochistan High Court had previously directed the secretary and director-general of Health to issue show-cause notices to GHA leaders and employees who continued their strike despite court orders to call it off.

Dr Shah expressed confusion over the government’s policy of privatising hospitals, accusing officials of attempting to sell facilities to private entities. “We urge the government to show mercy on Balochistan. Officials want to sell hospitals to their own people,” he alleged.

“The Balochistan chief minister claimed in a ceremony in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh that they would provide employment to every household, but instead, they are making people unemployed here,” he lamented.

He also pointed out that while people were being recruited on a contractual basis in the health department, hundreds of doctors and nurses remained unemployed.

He added that health department employees had been protesting for over a month, but negotiations had failed because the government was not serious about them. He urged the public to protect their hospitals from the government.

Dr Shah mentioned that the Balochistan High Court had summoned them, but they had not received any official notice, and they only learned about it through newspapers. “I will personally appear in court, and I urge doctors from all districts to come to Quetta and present their issues to the Balochistan High Court,” he said.

In response to a question, he confirmed that the Grand Health Alliance’s protest was ongoing in a democratic manner and that it would continue.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2024