Islamabad: Rising violence against doctors and healthcare workers is contributing to a declining interest in medical education in Pakistan, the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) warned on Thursday, citing the unprecedented vacancy of 743 MBBS and BDS seats this year despite a reduction in admission criteria.
Expressing concern over the future of the medical profession, PIMA said attacks on doctors, workplace insecurity, harassment and exploitation of young physicians were making medicine a less attractive career choice for many students.
In a statement, PIMA Central President Prof. Atif Hafeez Siddiqui said all forms of harassment of medical staff, non professional interference in their work and unjust, baseless and false campaigns against them must be immediately stopped.
He said it was highly alarming that despite lowering admission standards this year, 743 seats in medical education remained vacant.
“This situation reflects a declining interest among young people in the field of medicine, in which the above mentioned issues play a significant role,” Prof. Siddiqui said.
The warning comes at a time when concerns are growing within the medical community over the safety and security of healthcare workers across Pakistan.
The recent killing of Dr. Mehwish in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reignited debate about the risks faced by doctors while performing their duties. Medical organizations have repeatedly pointed to incidents of violence, intimidation and assaults against healthcare professionals in hospitals and healthcare facilities, saying such attacks have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
Healthcare professionals believe that when students and their families see doctors being attacked, threatened, harassed and, in some cases, killed despite years of education and service, many begin to question whether medicine remains a worthwhile career.
Prof. Siddiqui said PIMA strongly condemns the harassment of doctors at workplaces by government and administrative officials as well as the misuse of authority against healthcare professionals.
He also criticized the practice of photographing and video recording doctors during duty without authorization, saying it damages their professional reputation and violates patient confidentiality.
According to him, non professional interference in highly specialized medical work, coupled with pressure and provocation, demoralizes doctors and adversely affects the quality of healthcare services provided to patients.
PIMA also highlighted the exploitation of young doctors, particularly in private hospitals, where many are employed on low salaries, subjected to excessive workloads and made to work under unclear duty schedules.
Prof. Siddiqui said PIMA fully supports the legitimate demands of young doctors and calls for immediate increases in salaries and stipends of doctors and paramedical staff in line with inflation, fair distribution of duty hours and implementation of relevant labour protections.
Official figures show that despite a 45 day extension in admissions and a reduction in the minimum merit requirement for MBBS and BDS programmes, 743 seats remained vacant in public and private medical and dental colleges across Pakistan during the 2025-26 academic session.
Medical experts believe the vacancies signal a broader crisis facing the profession, with concerns over security, working conditions, career prospects and financial rewards increasingly influencing students’ career choices.
Prof. Siddiqui warned that if the trend continues, Pakistan could eventually face a shortage of qualified doctors.
“If this trend continues, the public may eventually have to rely on Google and quacks for medical treatment,” he said.
PIMA urged the government, healthcare regulators and hospital administrations to ensure the safety and dignity of healthcare workers, prevent violence and harassment against doctors and address the growing concerns that are driving young people away from the medical profession.
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