Help Expedite NEET PG Counselling: Doctors tell Chief Justice of India

New Delhi: Pointing towards the unusual delay in the Post-graduate medical admission this year, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) India has recently written to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court requesting him to expedite the counselling process.

Submitting that an entire academic year of the upcoming P.G Resident Doctors is on the verge of getting wasted, owing to multiple delays in conduction of the whole process, FORDA has mentioned in the letter, "We would hereby like to request you to kindly take note of the plight of Resident Doctors as well as P.G Aspirants & take necessary measures for expediting the hearing in the pending case followed by directions for expediting the process of NEET-PG 2021 Counselling."

Such a representation of FORDA comes in the context of the fact that the NEET-PG Counselling process has been halted as the matter of OBC and EWS reservation in the All India Quota Seats is still pending before the Apex Court.

Also Read: No NEET PG Counselling till EWS verdict

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Central Government has assured the top court on Monday that no NEET-PG Counselling would be held till there is a decision regarding the EWS matter. 

After recording the assurance given by the Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, the counsel for the centre, the top court bench comprising of Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna had observed that students would be in serious problem if the counselling process went ahead as scheduled.

However, doctors under the umbrella of FORDA has expressed their concerns regarding the further delay in the NEET-PG Counselling process and in the letter directed to the CJI, the association highlighted the issue faced by lakhs of Resident Doctors as well as NEET-PG 2021 aspirants of the nation.

Referring to the delay in the entire process, the letter by FORDA stated, "Due to the ongoing Pandemic, the NEET-PG 2021 for admission to various PostGraduate Medical courses was unusually delayed this year. Subsequently, the Entrance Examination was conducted in September, 2021 & the Results were declared, bringing some relief for the P.G Aspirants as well as Resident Doctors currently pursuing their courses."

"It is pertinent to mention that following declaration of Final year P.G Examination Results, majority of successful candidates have been relieved from their duties while some of them have joined as Senior Residents in their parent Institutions. This implies that the Healthcare Institutions are being managed by the current Batches of 2nd year & 3rd-year Resident Doctors while admission process of the entire 1st year Batch is yet to begin," further added the letter.

Referring to the stay in the counselling process, the letter stated, "This is a precarious situation, considering that the current Batches have been dealing with the Pandemic since the very beginning & are currently overburdened with work. They have been carrying out the COVID as well as Non-COVID works in the Hospitals since the past 1.5 years & are exhausted, both physically & mentally. However, the NEET-PG Counselling process for Seat Allotment has now been put on hold in view of pending case before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India & further hearing in this matter has been adjourned till 16th November, 2021 in view of upcoming festivities. This has left the current Batches of Resident Doctors in much despair along with the P.G Aspirants."

Claiming that an "entire Academic Year of the upcoming P.G Resident Doctors is on the verge of getting wasted, owing to multiple delays in conduction of the whole process", FORDA requested the Chief Justice of India to take note of the plight of the Resident doctors as well as P.G Aspirants & take necessary measures for expediting the hearing in the pending case followed by directions for expediting the process of NEET-PG 2021 Counselling.

Apart from the CJI, FORDA has also written to the National Board of Examinations (NBE) regarding the matter.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, the President of FORDA, Dr Manish said, "We have also approached the NBE. However, as the matter is sub-judice everything depends on the Supreme Court now. That is why we have requested the Honourable Chief Justice of India to expedite the process."

"Due to the continuous delay in the PG Medical admissions, a lot of people of suffering including the aspirants and the doctors who have already completed their tenure. On top of everything, now the dengue cases are rising too and due to the lack of manpower, the healthcare system is also collapsing. For all these reasons, it is extremely important that the new batch joins at the earliest," he added.

Also Read: Grant leaves to final year DNB doctors: FORDA to NBE