Patient care hit as doctors’ stir intensifies

Patient care was badly affected at several major hospitals in New Delhi on Wednesday as resident doctors protesting over the delay in NEET PG counselling intensified their agitation even as members of more RDAs joined the stir in the national capital, as well as some other parts of the country. The resident doctors’ association of the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) on Wednesday morning issued a statement that its members were “withdrawing services” to protest against the alleged police action in a face-off between them and medics on Monday, and demanded expediting of the NEET PG counselling process.

Located in East Delhi, RGSSH, under the Delhi government, is one of the key facilities for treatment of Covid19 in the city.

“Senior residents and junior residents have boycotted services from today. But we are trying to compensate with consultants so that patient care is not much affected,” a senior official of the hospital said, adding that about 900-2,000 patients visit its OPD daily.

Visuals emerged on social media of doctors at the Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya and Northern Railway Central Hospital holding banners with messages like “Black day for medical fraternity”, “Couselling karao, doctors bulao”, and chanting slogans such as “We want justice”.

The stir by resident doctors in Delhi, who have been protesting over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, entered its 13th day on Wednesday.

The president of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), Dr Manish, said: “The strike is still on”.