Balochistan govt 'meets all demands' of protesting doctors

QUETTA: Liaquat Shahwani, the Balochistan government’s spokesperson, says the provincial government has met all demands of protesting doctors, reported ARY News.

He in a statement said contracts of a total of 533 doctors have been extended till June while 205 medics and nurses will be recruited on an ad hoc basis. He added health professionals on the forefront battling the coronavirus have been provided with personal protective equipment in abundance.

The spokesperson said the provincial government is in the process of procuring over 700,000 N95 face masks and 8,500 kits from China. He said the government had ordered the release of the doctors who were arrested during a protest earlier in the day.

Earlier today, police baton-charged and arrested several protesting doctors after they refused to stop their march towards the Chief Minister House in the provincial capital.

The young doctors were protesting against a lack of protective gear for doctors, paramedical staff treating coronavirus patients in the Sheikh Zayed Hospital Quetta.

The police resorted to a baton charge after the doctors and paramedical staff began marching towards the CM House and refused to end their protest after negotiations between the Young Doctors Association and govt failed.