QUETTA: Police have registered a criminal case following the acid attack on a lady doctor at Civil Sandeman Hospital, while the Young Doctors Association (YDA) staged a protest demanding enhanced security measures for healthcare professionals and a high-level investigation into the incident.
According to the police, a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at Civil Lines police station against a suspect Humayun Shah under the relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly throwing acid on Dr Mahnoor Nasir at Civil Sandeman Hospital.
Police said the suspect, who worked as a lift operator for a private company at the hospital, attacked Dr Mahnoor Nasir with acid, injuring her and trainee medical staff member Abdul Razzaq Tarakai. The suspect, however, was later killed in an encounter with police.
Meanwhile, the YDA organised a protest rally from Civil Sandeman Hospital on Sunday, which passed through several roads, including Anscomb Road and Shahrah-e-Iqbal, before culminating in a sit-in outside the Quetta Press Club on Court Road.
The protesters carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans supporting their demands and chanted slogans against hospital and health department authorities.
Addressing the demonstrators, YDA President Dr Hayee Baloch, along with other representatives including Dr Shazia, Dilbar Nasir, Dr Samad Panizai, Dr Tahira, Haji Shifa Mengal, Dr Ali Jan, Dr Muzammil, and Sharaf Agha, called for comprehensive security arrangements in hospitals to ensure the safety of doctors, particularly female healthcare workers.
The speakers said the acid attack had exposed serious shortcomings in the government’s ability to provide security at public health facilities. They described the incident as a grave act of violence and stressed that even doctors, who dedicate their lives to saving others, were no longer safe at their workplaces.
The YDA leaders alleged that attempts were being made to downplay the incident and warned that if their demands were not met, doctors across Balochistan would suspend services in public hospitals. They also criticised government officials for showing a lack of seriousness during recent negotiations, saying the persistent shortage of facilities in government hospitals should not be blamed on doctors.
The association demanded a transparent and impartial investigation into the attack to determine all facts surrounding the case and urged the government to formulate and implement an effective security plan for hospitals. They maintained that attacks on women and healthcare workers were unacceptable and that doctors must be provided with a safe environment to perform their professional duties and serve patients effectively.
