QUETTA: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) continued its province-wide protest for the 23rd consecutive day on Monday against the acid attack on Dr Mahnoor Nasir, maintaining a boycott of outpatient departments (OPDs) and general duties at government hospitals across Balochistan.
The ongoing strike has disrupted healthcare services across the province, leaving thousands of patients facing difficulties in accessing routine medical treatment.
In a statement, the YDA described the acid attack on Dr Mahnoor as an attack on Balochistan’s healthcare system, alleging that doctors and other medical staff were working in an unsafe environment.
The association accused the provincial government of prioritising the protection of a controversial official instead of ensuring justice for the victim. It also claimed that more than 30 doctors had been suspended for demanding a transparent investigation into the incident and the identification of those responsible.
The YDA announced that it would convene a Grand Doctors Conference with representatives from across the province, during which participants are expected to announce a long march from Quetta to Islamabad.
The association also announced a protest rally from Civil Hospital Quetta on June 30.
Among its key demands are the removal of the provincial health secretary and the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital Quetta, the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the acid attack, and enhanced security measures for doctors and medical staff at hospitals throughout the province.
The protests began after postgraduate trainee Dr Mahnoor Nasir sustained severe burns in an alleged acid attack inside the surgical ward of Civil Hospital Quetta on June 7.
According to doctors, she suffered burns to around 35 per cent of her body and was initially treated at a private hospital before being airlifted to Karachi on the directions of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti for specialised medical care.
The incident triggered widespread condemnation within the medical community, with the YDA alleging that the suspect was a privately employed lift operator at the hospital and describing the attack as an attempted murder.
Police later said the suspected attacker was killed during an exchange of fire with law enforcement following the incident, while investigations continued, including an examination of CCTV footage to determine whether any accomplices were involved.
The provincial government has pledged to strengthen hospital security and bring those responsible for the attack to justice.
