ISLAMABAD: A clash broke out on Tuesday between a group of young doctors protesting against the national licensing examination in front of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and the police deployed outside the building, reported the local media.
The PMC recently made it mandatory for graduates of medical institutions to take a comprehensive exam before getting themselves registered to practice medicine in the country.
However, the decision did not go down well with young doctors who raised their voice against it on Tuesday in front of the PMC building.
“The protest turned violent when the police resorted to baton-charge and fired tear gas at the demonstrators, prompting some of them to barge into the PMC building,” Dawn said in a news report. “Later, the police detained around 20 doctors and dispersed the remaining through the use of force, according to a statement from the Young Doctors Association (YDA).”
Young doctors protest gather Pakistan Medical Commission's office in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 5, 2021. (Photo courtesy: @AamerGorsi/Twitter)
However, the police accused the protesters of trying to forcefully enter the building and said the doctors also threw stones at officials of the law enforcement agency.
The young doctors later called an emergency meeting at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) wherein they threatened to go on a nationwide strike if their colleagues were not released by the police.
PMC officials have emphasized the significance of the exam in recent weeks, saying it would help deliver standardized health care in the country.
