Students at PGIMS threaten to suspend emergency services
ROHTAK : Medical services were hit at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here after MBBS students and resident doctors on Wednesday afternoon decided to indefinitely shut down the out-patient department (OPD) and threatened to suspend emergency services as well if their demands were not met within 48 hours.
Supported by their seniors from 2018 and 2019 batches, the MBBS students of 2020 to 2022 batches at PGIMS are protesting against the state government’s bond policy.
While OPD services ran normally from 9 am to 12 pm, in the afternoon, MBBS students and the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) announced to close all OPD services for an indefinite period of time.
RDA president Dr Ankit Gulia said they had decided to withdraw all services from OPD, wards and elective surgeries indefinitely. “If the government and the authorities concerned do not give any positive response within 48 hours, we will close the emergency services as well,” he added.
Earlier, the protesters had suspended OPD services for an hour on Saturday, two hours on Monday, three hours on Tuesday and four hours on Wednesday.
According to the state government’s bond policy introduced in November 2020, the MBBS doctors have to pay an amount of ₹40 lakh as a bond to the state government for admission into a government college.
As per the new notification dated November 7, “All candidates completing their MBBS course from government medical colleges in the state of Haryana, shall have to execute a tripartite bond at the time of admission amounting to ₹36.40 lakh in government medical colleges and ₹32.80 lakh in government-aided medical colleges i.e MAMC, Agroha, which will be signed at the time of admission between the candidate, bank and government.”
“The said loan/bond shall be implemented at the end of MBBS course if the candidate does not opt to serve in the government of Haryana upon selection. The moratorium shall be extended in case of candidate who wishes to pursue postgraduation,” the notification stated.
However, the students have rejected the new notification.