Police action against doctors in Quetta flayed

LAHORE:Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has condemned police action against doctors in Quetta. These doctors were protesting unavailability of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs), which is very essential for doctors for their safety against coronavirus. This brutality is not acceptable to PMA, doctors were protesting for their genuine demand, the association said.

In a statement here on Monday, PMA (Centre) Secretary General Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad said that PMA demands an inquiry into the incident and immediate release of the arrested doctors. PMA has been stressing on all the provincial governments and the federal government for more than one month to provide (PPEs) for the protection of doctors, nurses and paramedics.

Protection of doctors from coronavirus is very serious issue. It should be handled very sensibly and carefully. At this stage we cannot afford to have such situation where doctors go on strike. We might face more difficulties in coming days so government should deal the situation calmly, he said.

From the very first day when coronavirus erupted in China and death toll was six, PMA through a press release on 22-01-2020 came out with the suggestion to screen out people coming from abroad and establish quarantine and isolation facilities in the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The PPEs for doctors, nurses and paramedics should have been arranged earlier to avoid such situation, he said.

PIMA: Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has condemned action against doctors in Quetta and their arrest by police for demanding corona protection equipment.

In a statement here on Monday, Central President of PIMA Prof Muhammad Afzal Mian and General Secretary Prof Khubaib Shahid said, this act is deplorable in the present situation when doctors were playing with their lives to treat the patients. PIMA demanded distributions of the PPE without delay.

PIMA office-bearers said doctors were playing an important role against corona whereas the government was creating hurdles for them which led to their protest for self-protection.

They said PIMA, Al Khidmat and other NGOs were striving hard to provide facilities and necessities to the masses but their efforts were not sufficient. PIMA called on the govt to realise its responsible as in the last week provisions of kits to other towns and medical centres have been exhausted.

PIMA said it would continue to ask doctors to perform their duties in the calamity but questioned how a war could be won without weapons.