QUETTA: The Balochistan Young Doctors Association (YDA) has boycotted the outpatient departments (OPD) at government hospitals against what it called the government’s plan to privatise public hospitals under the guise of health cards.
On Thursday, the YDA Balochistan had announced that it would boycott OPDs and called the move to introduce health cards a “conspiracy”. It said that the protest will continue until their issues are resolved.
YDA President Dr Ahmed Abbas had said that the government was introducing health cards in an effort to justify the privatisation of government hospitals. “Consultants have been relocated to outlying areas,” he added.
Paramedical Staff Association President Jamal Shah Kakar had also voiced his support for the boycott. Another doctor, Rahim Khan Babar, said that private nurses and staff were deployed at government hospitals for vaccination.
“The provincial government has established 665 PPHI centres (people’s public healthcare initiative) but there’s not a doctor working there, Rahim Khan added.
On September 23, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani had termed the government’s health card facility a revolutionary initiative and said that it would help citizens avail medical facilities on the government’s expense at the hospital of their choice.
“Health insurance will provide free medical treatment up to Rs1 million per annum and more than 1.82 million families will benefit from modern healthcare facilities,” he had said.
