In a democratic country, the right to protest is a fundamental right of all citizens as is enshrined in the Constitution, however, the protest is supposed to be peaceful and not to result in any loss of life or damage to property. The Young Doctors Association (YDA) in Balochistan announced that they will protest against the government’s initiative of providing a health card to the citizens so that they can get services at the government’s expense. This move has been taken in a negative light and is being done to justify the privatization of hospitals, according to the head of YDA. While staging the protest, the young doctors forgot their duty to save lives and they became the reason for the loss of an innocent life that could have survived and thrived if not for their protest.
A baby was born and he died outside the Bolan Medical Complex Hospital in Quetta after the mother was refused medical aid at the last moment due to the YDA protest. While staging a protest for their rights these young doctors forgot the very reason for their existence, which is to be of help and a source of comfort to the sick. They forgot that they were supposed to save lives and not become a reason due to which lives are lost. It may be speculated here that the reason people are going into the field of medicine is not to save lives at all. Maybe these modern-day young doctors have chosen the profession so that they can have a steady income as there is always a need for a doctor and the older and more experienced, they are, the more they can charge for their services.
This brings us to think about the rotten society where money has become the one and only aim for everyone and for that, individuals as well as bodies can take up the path of protest. It leads us to believe that lives are no longer precious and everyone is just in line to be a source of income. The idea here is not that it is wrong to protest but that the right to life comes before the right to protest and especially for those who have sworn to save lives.
For some this incident would be written in history as collateral damage and for some it will become a bitter memory source of hatred towards those who were meant to heal and comfort. It is imperative for those protesting to keep in mind their duties and responsibilities if not as doctors, then as humans.
