(Roz Dunya News)
An interesting situation arose during a protest by young doctors and paramedics in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, on Wednesday when police tried to seize Muhammad Ali Durrani, the new Assistant Commissioner of Quetta City, and take him to a jail van.
The incident took place when doctors and paramedics were being barred from entering the red zone and were being rounded up in addition to being charged with batons.
In a video made at the same time, it can be seen that Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Ali Durrani is being rescued by his bodyguards from the policemen.
Civil Lines Police have arrested a total of 24 doctors and paramedics.
In Balochistan, young doctors and paramedics have been protesting for more than a month and a half. He announced the protest in front of the Chief Minister's House on Wednesday, January 12.
Under the announcement, when the young doctors and paramedics tried to leave the Civil Hospital for the Chief Minister's House in the afternoon, the police first tried to stop the doctors inside the hospital.
However, the young doctors and paramedics managed to get out of the hospital but a heavy contingent of police was stationed at the last corner of Civil Hospital on Inscomb Road.
As about ten of the young doctors and paramedics approached the police cordon, police charged them with batons, injuring them.
"Hey, this is Sahib, this is Sahib."
The injured doctors were shifted to the hospital for medical treatment but the police started arresting the doctors here and did not allow them to enter the red zone.
A video of the arrests shows some policemen arresting the new Quetta City Assistant Commissioner as a doctor.
An attempt was made to take them to the van in which the arrested doctors and paramedics were locked.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner's bodyguards stopped the policemen. In the video, the assistant commissioner's bodyguards can be heard clearly saying, "This is Sahib, this is Sahib."
Muhammad Ali Durrani was appointed as Assistant Commissioner Quetta a few days ago. He may not have been recognized by some policemen who tried to arrest him as a doctor.
(Roz Dunya News)
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| How many paramedics and doctors were arrested in total? |
A total of 24 young doctors and paramedics have been arrested, a Civil Lines police station official said. Police have also charged doctors and paramedics with torture following the arrest and baton charge.
However, during the arrest of doctors and paramedics, they were not only beaten but also dragged. Doctors and paramedics could not reach the red zone after heavy police presence and baton charges and returned to the Civil Hospital after protesting and chanting slogans on Inscomb Road.
They have also shut down emergency services at the hospital in protest of police brutality and arrests.
Earlier, 19 doctors and paramedics were arrested for staging a sit-in in the red zone and cases were registered against them. However, the government later withdrew the cases against them and released them.
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How many paramedics and doctors were arrested in total?
A total of 24 young doctors and paramedics have been arrested, a Civil Lines police station official said. Police have also charged doctors and paramedics with torture following the arrest and baton charge.
However, during the arrest of doctors and paramedics, they were not only beaten but also dragged. Doctors and paramedics could not reach the red zone after heavy police presence and baton charges and returned to the Civil Hospital after protesting and chanting slogans on Inscomb Road.
They have also shut down emergency services at the hospital in protest of police brutality and arrests.
Earlier, 19 doctors and paramedics were arrested for staging a sit-in in the red zone and cases were registered against them. However, the government later withdrew the cases against them and released them.
Why did the young doctors start protesting recently?
The Charter of Demands presented to the government by the Young Doctors Association contains 24 points.
Dr. Arsalan, a member of the Central Committee of the Young Doctors Association of Balochistan, said that all but two of the 24 demands were for the welfare of patients.
Dr. Yasir Achakzai, chairman of the Young Doctors Association, said that government hospitals in Balochistan were in ruins due to the inattention of the government and lacked medical facilities.
He said that when patients come to the hospital, they vent their anger on the doctors and hospital staff for the lack of medicines and other facilities.
"It is not the job of doctors and other medical staff to ensure the availability of medicines and modern machinery in hospitals, it is the job of the government but since hospitals have doctors or other medical staff in front of patients and their families," he said. That is why they have to face the wrath and anger of the people.
He said that if the government improves the facilities in government hospitals, he would end his protest immediately.
(Roz Dunya News)
What do health officials say?
Addressing a press conference in Chaghi, Balochistan Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah said that serious talks were underway with the protesting doctors and a meeting was held with them yesterday.
"The protest in the red zone on Wednesday was not appropriate," he said.
He said that all the demands of the doctors were met but no increase was agreed upon.
"Doctors' salaries are still higher than other Grade 17 employees," he said. According to the health minister, raising the salaries of doctors will put a huge burden on the exchequer. We do not have that much budget, but we will try to find a middle way.
"At the moment, patients are worried about the doctors' protest," he said.
