Despite Warning, Haryana medicos continue strike, delegations to meet CM today

Rohtak: Although the Director of Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences warned to take strict action against the protesting MBBS medicos and Resident doctors, the strike is continuing as before and the doctors have withdrawn from the OPD services from yesterday.

While the 48-hours ultimatum given by the resident doctors and MBBS students ends tomorrow, today the Chief Minister of Haryana has called the delegations of medical colleges of the State for an urgent meeting at 4 p.m.

"A convoy of 15 delegations representing the students and residents of PGIMS Rohtak are on their way to meet Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister Haryana to discuss the issue of bond policy for MBBS students in the state. The meeting as of now is scheduled to begin at 4.00 pm wherein the students of the other three govt. Medical colleges too will join for the meeting," informed a student from PGIMS Rohtak.

Meanwhile, the teaching, non-teaching and nursing staff belonging to government medical colleges in Haryana have also extended their support to the protesting medicos, several of whom are on hunger strike.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the MBBS students in Haryana were protesting against the Rs 10 lakh annual bond policy imposed on the students. While recently CM Manohar Lal Khattar announced the Government's decision of junking the Rs 10 lakh annual fee, the bond money got changed into Bond papers. Therefore, now students will have to enter into a bond-cum-loan agreement of the amount with the college and the concerned bank. The state government will finance the bond amount if MBBS and MD pass-out students wish to join government service as a doctor and serve for a specified period of seven years. But candidates who do not want to join government services in Haryana will have to pay the amount themselves.

Also Read: Haryana MBBS Bond Policy: Protest escalates, doctors give three-day ultimatum to State to withdraw bond conditions

As per the notification published in the State Government Gazette dated November 07, 2022, "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 Rs 36,40,636/- in Government Medical Colleges and Rs 32,80,000/- in Government Aided Medical College i.e MAMC, Agroha which will be signed at the time of admission between the candidate, bank and Government (through the Institution concerned in which the candidate gets admission)."

Clearly, the doctors were upset with the bond service terms for seven years and it was also unclear what would happen if the medicos wished to pursue post-graduation or higher education degrees. So, the upset medicos had organized a peaceful protest against the new bond rules in Haryana. They are demanding the revision of bond service period from 7 years to 1 year and changing the penalty amount to Rs 5 lakh.

Despite several requests for a dialogue, there was no response from the side of the State Government. Even though the delegation of students belonging to all the GMCs met the DMER and Additional chief secretary of Medical education in Haryana, they did not get any relief.

Escalating their protest, the MBBS students and Resident doctors belonging to all the government medical colleges in Haryana decided to shut down OPD, Ward and elective services (sparing the emergency and trauma) from Thursday onwards. They had further given the authorities an ultimatum of 48-hours. It was announced that if the Government does not respond, the protest would be further escalated.

Meanwhile, the Director of PGIMS Rohtak arranged an emergency meeting on November 24 under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor. In the meeting, all the members unanimously decided to take strict action against the protesting medicos.

Consequently, the Director of PGIMS directed the MBBS students of the institute to call off the strike and warned, "All the MBBS students who are on strike are directed to call off the strike immediately then only their demands regarding amendments in new bond policy dated 07.11.22 can be negotiated."

The Director informed that if the strike is not called off immediately then following actions will be taken:

1. Vacation of Hostels in 24 hours.

2. FIR lodged against students who were involved in unlawful activities on 04.11.22 will not be withdrawn and necessary legal action will be taken against them.

Since the Resident Doctors are also participating in the strike, the Director issued a separate order and clarified, "In the meeting held on 24.11.2022 under the chairmanship of Ld. Vice Chancellor, UHS, Rohtak it has been decided that all hospital services like OPD, Indoor, OT's & lab facilities etc. will not be curtailed and will function as usual."

"All HODs/Unit Heads are requested to ensure strict compliance of the above decision. They are also requested to persuade all resident doctors working under their administrative control to perform their duties as per roster so that patient care does not suffer," stated the order.

Further, all the HODs and Unit Heads were directed, "You are requested to send the daily attendance of all House Surgeons/ Junior Residents/ PGs/ Senior Residents/ HCMS Doctors/Demonstrators/ MBBS Interns & MBBS students in the format given below till further orders."

Despite all such warnings, the medicos did not call off or suspend their strike. Meanwhile, the teaching, non-teaching and nursing staff extended their support to the protesting medicos.

Speaking about this, a second-year MBBS student of PGIMS Rohtak told Medical Dialogues, "We were called for a meeting yesterday and the authorities had told us to call off the strike or suspend it and only then the Government would talk to you. We did not agree to this and our strike is continuing. Ten students from 2020 and 2021 batch are also on hunger strike.

"Already the joint association committee of teaching, non-teaching and nursing personnel have extended their support to us from yesterday. They had also assured us to join our strike. This was the situation when the Director sir informed us today morning that an urgent meeting has been arranged with the CM sir in Chandigarh," he further added on the condition of anonymity.

"Further decisions will be taken after the meeting only," he clarified.

The delegations of medicos from all the government medical colleges in Haryana are now on their way to meet the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The meeting has been scheduled at 4 P.M today.

To view the PGIMS notices, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/action-taken-report-to-dmer-241122-191978.pdf

Also Read: Haryana medicos escalate strike, OPD and elective services to remain closed from tomorrow