Authorities still unable to recover abducted neurosurgeon

Poor patients facing the brunt of doctors’ strike at govt hospitals

QUETTA: Even after a passage of 30 days, the authorities have not managed to recover abducted neurosurgeon Dr Ibrahim Khalil. His non-recovery has led to a prolonged strike by the doctors at the government hospitals in Quetta causing severe hardships for the poor patients.

Dr Khalil was kidnapped from Shahbaz Town on December 14, while he was on his way home. His car was found near his residence with its windows shattered.

The provincial government has time and again urged doctors to call of their protest, assuring them that efforts are underway for Dr Khalil’s recovery.



Earlier, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan told the doctors action committee that law enforcement agencies were utilising all resources for the safe recovery of the neurosurgeon.

He urged the committee members to call off their strike.

However, the CM’s assurances fell on deaf ears as the strike continued, rendering the general out-patient departments (OPDs) at Civil Hospital, Bolan Medical College Hospital and Benazir Hospital without doctors for more than a month.

In the middle of all this, patients, including those coming from remote areas of the province, have suffered immensely. They come and see that the OPDs are closed.

“We don’t understand why the doctors’ community suspended their services at the government hospitals whereas in private hospitals they have been working regularly, which is causing hardships poor patients,” the relatives of patients at the Civil Hospital, Quetta complained.

“The suspension of services in OPDs is directly affecting poor patients,” they said, urging the doctors’ community to boycott private hospitals and clinics also as only the poor in this province were suffering.



 

The relatives urged the provincial government to take concrete measures for the recovery of the kidnapped doctors and ask the protesting doctors’ to call off their strike.

It is pertinent to mention that on December 16, the provincial government constituted a Joint Investigation Team to probe into the kidnapping of Dr Khalil and ordered it to submit its findings within 15 days.

Headed by senior superintendent of police investigation, Quetta, the team includes members from Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and Counter Terrorism Department.