QUETTA - Doctors belonging to 30 districts of Balochistan on Wednesday announced not to attend their duties in public hospitals including the provincial capital from today (Thursday) for exerting pressure on the government to fulfill their genuine demands. However, they said for the sake of humanity doctors would remain present in emergency and casualty departments to avoid any human loss. Addressing a press conference in Quetta Press Club, Medical Officer Dr Hafeez Baloch flanked by other doctors who had come from other districts of the province, regretted lack of interest of the government towards the demands of doctors raise in salaries and other benefits equivalent to that of doctors performing duties in the federal capital. Doctors are serving people without any discrimination despite the fact they are on strike. For the last 50 days they are being ignored which has compelled them to take this extreme step, he said, adding that owing to wrong policies of bureaucracy the doctors were facing numerous difficulties. He said their demands were genuine and they would not backtrack from their demands. Therefore, we have decided to go on complete strike from Thursday in all district headquarters hospitals including the hospitals in Quetta, he announced. Responding to a question, Dr Hafeez said they had adopted all democratic means to register their protest for their demands but the government was paying no heed towards their demands that had compelled them to go on strike. However, he said for the sake of masses, the doctors would remain present in emergency and casualty departments of hospitals. On the other hand, owing to strike of doctors in Quetta the people and patients were facing great difficulties. In Quetta, on Wednesday, all the OPDs remained closed while all scheduled operations were cancelled. The OPDs of all major hospitals of the provincial capital including Helpers Hospital, Bolan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Fatima Jinnah TB Sanatorium and Sandeman Hospital wore a deserted look, as no doctor was present to provide medical assistance to the patients. People in Quetta and other parts of the province expressed their anger against the doctors and the government for not paying any heed to the sufferings of humanity. We have come from Nushki district. I have brought my father for medical surgery but we could not find any doctor in the hospital (Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta) due to strike, Manzoor Ahmed said, adding they could not afford to pay expenses of medical surgery in private hospitals. Though my father is in pain but we have no other option but to return to home and wait for the end of strike, he added. It may be mentioned here that three patients died at Quetta Civil Hospital two days ago after allegedly not getting timely treatment owing to the doctors strike. Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani had also taken serious notice of the doctors strike.