- Pakistani doctors in the restive Balochistan province have launched protests, demanding reforms to the healthcare system and the resignation of the health secretary, following an acid attack on a female colleague.
- Dr Mahnoor Nasir, 29, was attacked with acid by a lift operator, Humayun Shah, at the Sandeman civil hospital in Quetta on 5 June, suffering 13 per cent burns to her face and body, and was later airlifted for specialised treatment.
- The suspect, Humayun Shah, who the provincial health minister alleged had been harassing Dr Nasir for months, was subsequently killed in an exchange of fire with police.
- The Young Doctors Association initiated a province-wide boycott of outpatient department services in response to the attack, leading to the suspension of 23 doctors and four postgraduate trainees by the health department.
- The assault has renewed significant concerns about gender-based violence and social inequalities in Pakistan, highlighting how fears of harassment and assault contribute to a worsening shortage of female doctors, with many leaving the profession after graduation.
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