Patients suffer as young doctors boycott OPDs across Quetta hospitals

By Asmat Sumalani

QUETTA: Public sector hospitals across Quetta faced severe disruptions for a third consecutive day on Tuesday, as junior doctors extended their strike to protest a horrific hospital acid attack on a female colleague.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan has shut down all outpatient departments (OPDs) and elective services across government hospitals in Quetta, maintaining operations only in emergency wards.

The boycott has left thousands of patients, both indoor and those visiting for consultations, facing immense hardships.

The strike was triggered by an incident at Quetta’s Civil Hospital, where Dr Mahnoor Nasir, 29, was seriously injured after a hospital employee, identified as Humayun Shah, threw acid on her.

According to police, the suspect was later killed in a shootout with law enforcement while attempting to flee the city on a bus.

Dr Nasir has since been shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi.

Medical sources state her condition is stable, though she has sustained bilateral corneal opacities — scarring on the surface of her eyes — with her vision currently remaining preserved.

Demands for Accountability

The YDA has escalated its demands, calling for the immediate removal of the provincial health secretary, the medical superintendent, and the security chief of Quetta Civil Hospital.

The association is also demanding the formation of a judicial commission to conduct a transparent inquiry into the security lapse.

However, the response from senior medical leadership has highlighted internal rifts within the medical community regarding the strike’s handling.

Speaking at a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan Medical Teachers’ Association (BMTA) President Dr Abdullah Khan strongly condemned the attack but characterised the junior doctors’ immediate reaction as “inappropriate.”

“This is the first time in our history that an acid attack has taken place inside a hospital premises, where lady doctors work day and night,” Dr Khan said.

He noted that Pakistan reports between 150 and 400 acid attacks annually, with women comprising 80 per cent of the victims.

While expressing solidarity with the victim, the BMTA president praised the provincial government and police for their swift action and initial medical management.

“The government of Balochistan and the health department spared no effort in providing initial medical aid to Dr Mahnoor,” Dr Khan said.

Dr Ayesha, speaking on behalf of the victim’s family, said that the family was satisfied with the official response.

Security Warnings

The BMTA has issued its own warning to authorities, demanding legislation for hospital security and the immediate deployment of indoor security guards at major facilities, noting that Civil Hospital and the Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) Hospital have historically been vulnerable to security threats.

Dr Khan warned that if these security demands are not met within one week, senior faculty and teachers will also launch protest actions.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti visited Dr Nasir in Karachi on Sunday to monitor her treatment.

Bugti announced a civil award for Abdul Razzaq, a hospital utility worker who sustained burn injuries while trying to save Dr Nasir during the attack.

Razzaq has since been discharged from a private hospital in Quetta.