Resident docs of 3 Delhi hospitals boycott services
No initiative or measure taken yet for expediting the (NEET-PG) counselling: Docs
New Delhi: Resident doctors of the Centre-run RML, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge hospitals boycotted all routine and emergency services from Monday in support of a nationwide protest called by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. Amid the protests by the resident doctors, the IMA sought PM Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop the delay in the counselling. Amid the Omicron threat, the body said it is disastrous to note the postponement of NEET PG admission in medical colleges.
Resident doctors of the Centre-run RML, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge hospitals boycotted all routine and emergency services from Monday in support of a nationwide protest called by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) against the delay in NEETPG 2021 counselling.
In a letter to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the FORDA on December 4 had said healthcare institutions across the country are running short of an adequate workforce of resident doctors, with no admission in the current academic year yet.
“With the possibility of future Covid pandemic wave looming large, the situation will be disastrous for the healthcare sector with its bearing on the country’s population,” it said.
“There seems to be no initiative or measure taken yet for expediting the (NEET-PG) counselling. Therefore, following discussions with various RDA representatives of Delhi, we have decided to escalate our agitation further and withdraw all services (routine and emergency) in healthcare institutions from Monday,” the letter read. As the resident doctors boycotted work, the director general of health services (DGHS) is learnt to have visited the Safdarjung hospital where he appealed to the resident doctors for calling off the protest, but they refused.
In an intimation to the hospital administration, the RDA of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital on December 4 said resident doctors across the country are on a peaceful protest for almost a week now in view of the delay in the NEET-PG counselling and the admission of firstyear junior residents to various hospitals.
The RDA had suspended the OPD services from November 27 and the routine services from December 3.
“However, we are pained to bring to your notice that we have not received any positive response or concrete action from the Union ministry of health and the authorities concerned,” it said.
Similar letters have also been written by the RDAs of the Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge (LHMC) hospitals.
In its letter to the medical superintendent, the Safdarjung hospital RDA said it continued a symbolic protest in a silent manner after a meeting with the Union health minister on November 27, “respecting the verbal assurance given by him”.
IN A letter to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the FORDA on December 4 had said healthcare institutions across the country are running short of an adequate workforce of resident doctors, with no admission in the current academic year yet