Doctors in Quetta have stopped working in emergency departments of public hospitals as part of their protest against lack of facilities, Aaj News reported on Wednesday.

So far, the emergency services in Civil Hospital Quetta and Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) Hospital have been closed.

The development comes hours after the police baton-charged doctors in Quetta when they tried to enter the city’s Red Zone area.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) Balochistan, paramedical and nursing staff associations had taken out a rally from Sandeman Provincial Hospital towards Red Zone to register their protest. However, they were stopped by the police at Anscomb Road where the clash erupted.

According to SSP Operations Quetta Abdul Haq, around 20 to 25 protesters had been taken into custody for violating law and order.

He said that the arrested doctors had been moved to a nearby police station and legal action would be initiated against them.

The YDA had started the protest in October 2021 against what it called the government’s attempt to privatise public hospitals under the guise of health cards.

They also demanded an improvement in the conditions of government hospitals, provision of medicines for patients as well as the installation of modern medical equipment.

Later that month, the doctors boycotted outpatient departments at public health facilities and carried out rallies in various parts of the provincial capital.

In December 2021, the YDA had warned that it would boycott emergency services in all government hospitals across the province if its demands were not accepted within 48 hours.