Medical services paralysed as strike at 3 hospitals continues

FORDA: Resident doctors will hold protest march if demands are not fulfilled

New Delhi, Dec. 7: Patient care at Delhi’s Centre-run Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge hospitals were hit as resident doctors boycotted all routine and emergency services for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as part of a nationwide protest over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. The protest was called by the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA).

FORDA president Dr Manish on Tuesday evening said if their demands are not met the resident doctors will hold a protest march to the Union Health Ministry’s office at Nirman Bhawan here. “We are going to hold a meeting of representatives from resident doctors’ associations (RDAs) across the country on Wednesday afternoon and then decide accordingly,” he said.

Sharing a video clip of Sansad TV, FORDA tweeted in the evening: “Thankful to Hon’ble Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sir (Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha) for raising the issue of nationwide agitation of Resident Doctors in Parliament. We hope for an early resolution of the issue.”

In the tweet, FORDA put the hashtag ‘expedite NEET-PG counselling 2021’ and tagged the Twitter handles of the Prime Minister’s Office, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the Health Ministry.

Earlier in the day, AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) said its members will wear black ribbons at work in support of the support the cause of the overburdened resident doctors of the country and against the delay in NEETPG counselling.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to ensure that postgraduate admissions are done on a war footing.

The Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital administration on Monday had issued a circular saying that all residents doctors appointed on adhoc “cannot indulge themselves nor participate in any strike activity”.

“Non-observance of the rules attracts disciplinary action as deemed fit, including termination. This issue with the approval of Medical Superintendent,” the circular warned.

General Secretary of Safdarjung Hospital RDA Dr Anuj Aggarwal said, “We are continuing with the protest because of no concrete action by the Union Health Ministry.”

The resident doctors have been waiting patiently for some positive outcomes of the Supreme Court proceedings in the matter. However, there seems no respite to the physical and mental distress, said Dr Sunil Duchania, the president of RDA at Lady Hardinge Medical College.

“As withdrawal from OPD and all routine services didn’t bring any concrete response from the authorities, the resident doctors have withdrawn from all services (routine as well as emergency) from December 6 in support of the nationwide protest called by FORDA,” Dr Sunil Duchania said.

The Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF), in a statement, said the delay in PG admissions have left them “overworked” and the patients that they treat “underserved”.

EARLIER IN the day, AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) said its members will wear black ribbons at work in support of the support the cause of the overburdened resident doctors of the country and against the delay in NEETPG counselling