Pakistani woman doctor who survived acid attack to be sent abroad for treatment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani doctor Mahnoor Nasir, who survived an acid attack in the southwestern city of Quetta this month, will be sent abroad for treatment of her burn injuries, a Balochistan government spokesperson said on Saturday.

Nasir is receiving treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi and may require a skin transplant abroad. She sustained 35 percent burn injuries in the attack on June 6 in the orthopedic ward of the largest government-run hospital in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan government, told Arab News on Saturday that the provincial government had decided to send the woman doctor abroad for specialized medical treatment.

“We will ensure that she receives every medical facility and form of care deemed necessary, in accordance with the wishes of her family,” he said. “The process has already been initiated.”

The suspect, Hamayoun Shah, a lift operator at Civil Hospital in Quetta, had entered the doctor’s room at Quetta Civil Hospital and threw acid on her before fleeing.

The attacker was killed by the Balochistan police shortly after the attack. Imran Shoukat, a deputy inspector general of police, said Shah was attempting to flee the city but was killed during an exchange of fire.

The acid attack sparked outrage among doctors and hospital staff, prompting the Young Doctors Association to boycott for days all services at government-run hospitals, except for emergency care.

The case has highlighted the risk of violence and social disparities women face in Pakistan, where fears of harassment and attack have exacerbated a fast-growing doctor shortage. Around 70,000 women — nearly one-fifth of Pakistan’s 370,000 registered doctors — are listed in official registries but are not currently practicing, according to medical associations.

There is no recent, reliable data on the exact number of acid attacks in Pakistan. However, the Acid Survivors Foundation reported approximately 1,180 violent incidents involving acid and other burn-causing substances, such as petrol and boiling water, between 2011 and 2018.