FAIMA discusses NEET PG 2022 postponement with Health Ministry

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing controversy regarding the schedule of NEET-PG 2022 examination, which the doctors have been demanding to postpone to July, the representatives of Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) are in continuous talks with the Union Health Ministry officials in this regard.

The association had a meeting with the Health Ministry officials on Monday and Tuesday and they are going to meet the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today as well. However, clarifying that the final call in this regard will be taken by the Union Health Minister, the association has advised the aspirants to keep studying for May 21, the day on which the exam has been scheduled.

Meanwhile, the matter has already reached the Supreme Court as the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) and several other doctors have demanded intervention of the Apex Court in this regard and the SC has agreed to hear the pleas for postponement.

While the demands for deferring the exam is escalating every day, the National Board of Examinations (NBE), which is in charge of conducting the centralized post-graduate entrance test, confirmed yesterday that the exam shall be conducted on May 21 and the admit cards will be issued shortly.

Also Read: Postpone NEETPG_Modiji: Doctors launch twitter storm

Medical Dialogues has been reporting about the ongoing confusion regarding the schedule of NEET PG 2022 examination. The exam was earlier scheduled to be held in March. However at that time the Health Ministry intervened and decided to postpone the examination as the date of the exam was clashing with the NEET PG 2021 examination. When the exam got rescheduled to May 21, the aspirants were not happy with this as the counselling for the NEET PG 2021 is going on in the month of May as well. Naturally, the doctors who appeared in the counselling process of the earlier NEET PG will be at a loss as they will have almost no time to prepare for the 2022 examination.

Referring to the distress of the aspirants, several associations including FAIMA, and AIMSA wrote to the Union Health Ministry and requested to defer the exam to July. While AIMSA reached the Supreme Court, the FAIMA doctors association organized a Twitter Storm with the hashtag #POSTPONENEETPG_MODIJI and arranged for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.

Even though there has not been any positive response from the Health Ministry yet, FAIMA is in continuous communication with the officials and had two meetings with the Health Ministry officials so far.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Rohan Krishnan, president of FAIMA doctors association said, "The meeting was held on Monday evening and Tuesday. Even today we are at the Health Ministry and trying to reach the honorable minister. Till now we have not met the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya but we have met the senior officials of Health Department, the additional directorate general, directorate general of medical education and the private secretary to the minister."

"We have explained everything to them- why these doctors are on road, why they are demanding for the deferment of NEET PG 2022 examination. All their queries and questions have been clarified by us. Now, only the Honorable Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya ji can take a final call on this matter. We hope that some positive outcome will come from it. We don't want our students to feel that when they are in trouble nothing will happen. They should give relief to the students by postponing the NEET-PG 2022 examination," he added.

"This issue has become so major that all the political parties are in favour of postponement. On top of everything, if the exam do gets postponed by one or two months, there will be no significant loss in particular. So, I personally think that the demands of the students seeking postponement are genuine and we are looking forward to a positive outcome in this regard," he further mentioned.

Also Read: NEET PG 2022: Admit cards to be issued shortly, NBE releases caution for candidates