Military medics are yet to replace the doctors on strike at the government-run hospitals of Balochistan, as the strike continued against the abduction of a senior doctor.
According to media reports, most private clinics also remained closed in Quetta on Wednesday.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Balochistan President Dr Sultan Tareen has vowed to continue protests, and condemned police action against protesting doctors. He said that over 80 doctors had been arrested by the police.
In the wake of patients’ plight, Balochistan Health Secretary Asmatullah Kakar on Tuesday wrote a letter to Pakistan Army, requesting deployment of army’s medical corps doctors at government hospitals.
The army had assured the deployment of at least 40 medics; however, the pledge is yet to be fulfilled after the passage of 24 hours.
The PMA has been protesting for over a month against the kidnapping of Dr Saeed from Quetta. Doctors’ unions in Lahore and Peshawar on Tuesday expressed solidarity with their colleagues in Quetta, and warned of expanding the strike to other major cities of the country.