The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) offered three requests on Tuesday to terminate their strike: a guaranteed date for NEET PG counselling following the Supreme Court hearing on January 6, an apology from authorities, and the cancellation of FIRs against protesting doctors.
After hundreds of professionals taking part in a protest march in central Delhi’s ITO were allegedly beaten and dragged on the road by police, doctors protesting the delay in NEET PG counselling declared a full closure of health care facilities on Monday. The police, on the other hand, said that very minimum force was used to keep demonstrators from approaching the Supreme Court, and that everyone who was held was freed the same day.
In the matter, a 12-member delegation from the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) met with the Union Health Ministry in an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to heed to the physicians’ concerns. Several resident physicians throughout the country are protesting the delay in NEET-PG counselling and have threatened to stop providing “all healthcare services” as of Wednesday.
Subsequently, the AIIMS Delhi Resident Doctors Association (RDA) stated on Tuesday that it has decided to call off the strike planned for today. “In a meeting with the Union Health Minister has met with the resident physicians and guaranteed that the NEET PG 2021 counselling will be held as soon as possible,” AIIMS Delhi RDA stated in an official statement. “Assuring the NEET PG 2021 counselling to be held as soon as possible,” it said. The AIIMS Delhi RDA has decided to reverse its strike plan from December 29. All services will be provided as usual.”
The NEET PG counselling has been frequently postponed due to a slew of Supreme Court challenges involving economic discrimination. For more than a month, resident doctors affiliated with medical institutions have been protesting the delay, and have withdrew from even emergency services for the past 11 days.
