APPNA Demands Immediate Release of Doctors & Provision of Equipment
Washington, DC: The Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) strongly condemns the arrest of dozens of doctors in Quetta, Pakistan, says a press release. It adds: The doctors were protesting a lack of safety equipment as they battled the coronavirus pandemic.
Physicians are in the frontlines of the global effort against COVID19. They have been putting their own lives at risk providing care to patients afflicted with the disease. It is their right to be provided decent Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Reportedly, they have not been provided PPE such as masks, goggles and gowns in Quetta.
As a matter of principle, APPNA does not condone strikes and street agitation by the doctors' community. However, provision of PPE in the fight against a highly contagious and potentially lethal disease is a must and the matter should have been resolved before the doctors were forced to take to the streets.
APPNA welcomes the release of some of the arrested doctors and demands immediate release of the rest of them. It strongly condemns the violence against them by the police.
Doctors and police must be partners in the community fight against COVID19 and not be antagonistic to each other.
On its part, APPNA has been raising funds and will continue to help hospitals and authorities in Pakistan with supply of PPE.
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