Doctors close trauma centre after manhandling incident

Say armed men threatened those on duty with dire consequences

QUETTA: The doctors’ community on Wednesday alleged that armed men barged into the trauma centre and manhandled on-duty doctors, while demanding improved security from the provincial government on an urgent basis.

The protesting doctors closed the trauma centre for all patients over the incident in which they said they were threatened with dire consequences by armed men.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Civil Hospital Quetta Medical Superintendent Dr Saleem Abro expressed dissatisfaction over the security provided to the trauma centre, while urging the government to increase doctors’ security,

“Last night (Tuesday), three people were brought to the trauma centre with injuries. They were accompanied by around 50 people who misbehaved with the duty doctors, manhandling those treating other patients and interfered with doctors as they performed their duties,” Dr Abro said.

While acknowledging that the situation was brought under control after the deputy commissioner sent additional forces, the doctors demanded action against those responsible. “We have video clips and it would be easy to identify those involved to initiate legal action,” he said.

He added that the provincial police chief had visited the trauma centre recently and pledged improved security but there wasn’t any implementation on it.

“Since the blast at the hospital in 2016, security issues have lingered on,” he said, referring to the incident in 2016 in which more than 70 people, mainly lawyers, were killed. “The provincial government has failed to address the issue which has increased the sense of insecurity among doctors,’ the medical superintendent added.

“The hospital provides treatment not only to patients from Quetta but also those from Sindh and Afghansitan,” Dr Abro said while calling for due respect to be shown to medical professionals.

Replying to a query regarding the mistreatment with a lady reporter of a news channel, Dr Saleem said that follow a departmental inquiry, a summary had been sent to the health department in order to transfer the doctors involved. “We didn’t impose any restrictions on the media in the hospital but one should refrain from causing disturbance during an emergency.”