PMA Calls Conversion of Gastro Institute into Trauma Center Illegal and Unscientific

**Quetta:** The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Quetta has strongly objected to the Health Department’s decision to convert the newly constructed Gastroenterology Institute in Quetta into a trauma center, declaring the move illegal, unscientific, and contrary to long-term healthcare planning.

In a statement, the PMA said the building was officially approved and designed for the treatment of gastrointestinal, liver, and intestinal diseases, and altering it into a trauma center through structural changes amounts to the destruction of strategic health planning. The association emphasized that according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, trauma centers should be established within tertiary care hospitals such as Bolan Medical College (BMC) Hospital or Civil Hospital Quetta, as trauma facilities located away from major hospitals can pose serious risks to patients.

The PMA also expressed regret that key stakeholders, including the Pakistan Medical Association and the Young Doctors Association, are being consistently ignored in health policy decisions. The spokesperson highlighted that health indicators in the province are extremely alarming, with hospitals lacking even basic items such as syringes, cannulas, and emergency medicines, while authorities remain focused on construction and renovation projects for personal gains.

The statement further noted that over 80 percent of posts in the Health Department are being run on additional charge arrangements, which, according to the PMA, contradicts claims of good governance. The association urged the Chief Minister of Balochistan, the Chief Justice, and the Chief Secretary to take immediate notice of what it termed the “killing of merit,” warning that doctors’ organizations would be left with no option but to launch strong protest movements if corrective action is not taken.