Doctors’ unending protest

Despite a ban imposed by the Balochistan High Court (BHC), doctors have been boycotting government hospitals for the last two months, badly affecting the common man of Balochistan in general and the people of Quetta in particular.

The doctors – employed at the government hospitals of the provincial capital – started their protest in September, 2021 under the banner of the Young Doctor Association (YDA).

When the protest prolonged, BHC Chief Justice Justice Naeem Afghan took suo moto notice of the situation and issued notices both to the provincial government and the striking doctors.

After hearing both the parties, Justice Afghan on November 5 directed the doctors to resume their duties and restore the health services in the view of the common man’s sufferings.

The doctors refused to obey the court orders. Some fifty of them staged a sit-in at Quetta’s Shaheed SP Fayyaz Sumble crossing and blocked the way to the city’s red zone, causing a massive traffic jam

On November 27, Balochistan governor passed an ordinance, banning rallies, processions and sit-ins on streets, roads and highways. The doctors who otherwise advised the public to observe Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) violated the SOPs during their protest.

In view of the crisis, police swung into action and they arrested 19 doctors including the YDA Chairman Dr Hafeez Mundokhail and other office-bearers on November 29.  In the wake of the crackdown, the doctors completely suspended health services.

The government has held talks with the YDA continually but the doctors have refused to budge on their position. The YDA has resorted to closing the outdoor patient departments (OPDs) and administrative offices including that of medical superintendents at all government hospitals.

The previous provincial government of Jam Kamal had handled the doctors’ issue strictly.

It had refused to accept their demands, which, according to some key officials, include rolling back a plan to privatize some departments in two major hospitals for improving the health facilities; manifold increase in doctors’ salaries and creating 1,000 new vacancies for doctors.

They also allegedly want the government to roll back a health card scheme, allowing a cardholder to get free medical treatment at any private hospital of his/her choice of up to Rs1 million per annum.  Around 1.82 million families are going to benefit from this facility.

The protestors also demand an exemption for the contract doctors to sit the Public Service Commission exams, said a government official who is holding talks with the protestor while requesting anonymity. The present government of Qudus Bizenjo has, however, tried to resolve the issue through talks.

Ostensibly, the doctors are protesting against lack of proper health facilities and equipment at government hospitals.  They claim that they want improvement in health services like repair and replacement of medical equipment and machinery in hospitals; increase in the quota of medicine in hospitals and raise in allowances for doctors and medical staff.

The protestors have not shared their demands with the media in writing.

Talking with reference to the ongoing protest, Balochistan Minister for Health Syed Ehsan Shah said there would be an extra burden of Rs7 billion on the exchequer of the province, if demands of the doctors were accepted.

“The province spends Rs78 billion on education while Rs55 billion are spent on the health sector. Rs237 billion are allocated for development with a fiscal gap of Rs85 billion. The annual allocation for the pension of government employees is over Rs30 billion,” he said.

According to the minister a newly appointed doctor draws Rs70,000 per month while an assistant commissioner in the same grade BPS-17 receives only Rs53,000. Most of the doctors remain absent from duty while an assistant commissioner is compelled to serve for 14 to 16 hours, he said.

He said the government is of the opinion that if it enhances the salaries of the young doctors then it will also have to enhance the salaries of senior doctors and paramedics and other staff.

“Employees of other government departments will also demand an increase in their salaries by taking the same course. Once doctors and teachers were underpaid, but in order to improve the quality of education and health facilities the government has now increased their salaries.”

Interestingly, no provincial government, not even the government of Dr Malik Baloch could make doctors and teachers punctual because of the patronage of nationalist parties which use them in general elections for their political ends.

It is common knowledge that many doctors, especially the senior ones perform duties at government hospitals only for a few hours and enjoy the luxury of official residences. These doctors are very punctual in their practice at private hospitals and clinics.

Medical technicians and attendants who also work with these doctors in their private hospitals and clinics poorly maintain medical machinery and equipment in government hospitals and subsequently these equipment go out of order within months but they use the machinery at private hospitals very carefully.

These young doctors have been on strike for the last four months, but they draw their salaries and do their private practice regularly. It is high time for the government to deal with the doctors according to law in light of the high court direction that has already barred them from taking to the streets.

Even the government should not hesitate to take punitive actions like suspension of those who violate the law and stoppage of their salaries. If the government goes for such actions, the doctors may drop their unjust demands.

And by doing this, the government can also give a clear message to other government employees who will also demand the same once doctors get their demands accepted.

If the government surrenders to the doctors then the employees of other departments would also be encouraged to pressure the government in the coming months when it will be busy in annual budget preparations.