Healthcare Crisis in Balochistan: Doctors Strike Amidst Acid Attack Probe Stalemate

Thousands suffer in Balochistan as outpatient departments remain closed due to a doctors' strike. The protest, led by the PMA and YDA, demands an inquiry into an acid attack incident. With OPDs shut, patients face healthcare disruptions, urging provincial government to act swiftly.

In Balochistan, a crisis deepens as thousands of patients are left without access to outpatient services due to a strike by doctors. Sparked by an acid attack on a female doctor, the protest highlights deficiencies in the provincial government's response, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as women and children, according to Dawn.

Led by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Quetta Zone and the Young Doctors Association (YDA), the strike has held for 21 days. Despite emergency services still functioning, many seeking routine care are turned away. The PMA criticized the lack of progress in investigating the attack, underscoring the government's failure to act decisively.

The PMA calls for a transparent judicial inquiry and has demanded the removal of key officials to ensure an unbiased investigation. They condemn disciplinary actions against senior doctors as unjust. A PMA meeting is scheduled to discuss expanding protests, potentially planning a march to Islamabad. Calls for intervention by provincial leadership are urgent as the deadlock persists.