With the ongoing violence against doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on the rise, it is not a surprise that many doctors have resorted to equipping themselves with guns under the approval of the Health Ministry in order to protect themselves from more assault and abduction. Recently, polio campaigners in the northwestern part of the country have received armed security for the continuance of vaccination for children as a result of being relentlessly attacked by militants within the region. Doctors of Peshawar have stated time and again that despite the good intention of the government arm medical practitioners against attackers, the predicament of lawlessness remains unchallenged. As we can see, chaos spreads on.
In a similar incident involving the abuse of doctors, Dr. Abdul Munaf Tareen was kidnapped several months ago. He was abducted by armed men of the highly turbulent security zone in Quetta, Pishin Stop, on his way home. After being recovered from Lasbela district, Dr. Tareen addressed the media and described his abduction while Lasbela SHO Jan Mohammad Jamot stated, “Kidnappers dropped Munaf in Gandacha area on the main national highway due to which he received injuries.” After constant pressure exerted on the Supreme Court to retrieve Dr. Tareen by the Pakistan Medical Association and the offering of Rs. 50 million to the kidnappers, the cardiologist was finally released from captivity.
But the problem remains. As the government continues to mistake anarchy for empowerment, by handing guns to doctors, culprits go on with their brutal business without a slap on the wrist. This is not just any segment of our society; these are our doctors. A large number of those attacked do not possess the same fortune – financial and otherwise – to be rescued from peril. The government ought to understand the delicate nature of the situation and immediately amplify the enforcement of law and security.