No NEET PG Counselling: Resident Doctors Suspend Emergency Services, Health Minister Gives Assurance

The call for suspension of emergency services was given by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) India in a letter directed to the Union Health Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya.

Already Emergency services are suspended at Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge Hospitals. More hospitals including GTB, LNJP and more RDAs are expected to join this move, Dr. Manish, President of FORDA informed Medical Dialogues.

He further mentioned that previously while writing to the Union Health Minister, FORDA had pointed out how the Healthcare Institutions across the nation were running short of adequate workforce of Resident Doctors as there have been no admission in the current Academic year yet.

"With the possibility of future COVID-19 Pandemic wave looming large, the situation will be disastrous for the healthcare sector with its bearing on the country's population. To mark our protest against repeated delays & postponements of NEET-PG 2021 Counselling, we, the overburdened & exhausted Resident Doctors of the nation, began our agitation for expediting the NEET-PG 2021 Counselling and Admission process, 27^th November, 2021 onwards, in the form of withdrawal from OPD services," FORDA had pointed out in the letter.

Also Read: NEET PG Quota hearing deferred to January 2022, Counselling likely to Stay

FORDA had thanked the Union Health Minister for discussing the grievances in person and giving verbal assurance that the issue would be addressed within a week. "However, the proceedings that followed, were not as per the assurances received which forced us to call for Withdrawal from all Routine services, 3^rd December, 2021 onwards across the nation," FORDA pointed out.

"There seems to be no initiative or measure taken by the concerned authorities yet, for expediting the Counselling. Therefore, following discussion with various RDA Representatives of Delhi, we have decided to escalate our agitation further & Withdraw from all Services (Routine as well as Emergency) in healthcare institutions, Monday (6/12/2021) onwards," the letter dated 04.12.2021 had mentioned.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the matter, Dr. Manish, President of FORDA said, "Routine services are already suspended all over India. From today, emergency services have been suspended in three hospitals in Delhi- Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge. GTB and LNJP are expected to join the protest and suspend emergency services from today evening or tomorrow."

"Lots of other RDAs have expressed their interest to join us. Already emergency services have been suspended at Agra and Jhansi. FORDA will have a meeting with other RDAs and decide on the future course of action," he added.

Assurance from Union Health Minister

IANS adds that the Union Health Minister Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday met the protesting doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital in the national capital. He held a meeting with representatives of Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) of various hospitals in Delhi at the RML. The doctors were assured in the meeting that the Union government will press for an early hearing of the matter pending before the Supreme Court.

Referring to the meeting with the Union Health Minister, Dr. Manish mentioned, "Today, during a meeting, the Health Minister gave us verbal assurance that he would take necessary steps to expedite the counselling process. However, till the time we get complete solution to the problem we will not call off the strike. Wither we need written assurance or the court proceedings should commence immediately. Only then we consider calling off the protest."

"We should feel that the Government is giving efforts to solve the problem," he added.

While commenting on the matter, Dr. Ajay Kumar, Vice-President, RDA, RML, told IANS, "We have not been given a written assurance by the Union Health Minister."

The Minister has said if no action is taken on Monday by the Union government, another meeting will be held with him on Monday evening, Kumar added.

A decision on the strike by the resident doctors will be taken after the meeting on Monday evening, he said.

However, the Minister has not specified a timeline when the Centre's representative would appeal to the Chief Justice of India in writing for an early hearing.

NEET PG Counselling in the 50 percent AIQ seats was set to commence from October 25, 2021. However, as the OBC and EWS reservation policy that was announced by the Central Government was challenged before the Supreme Court, MCC had postponed the counselling process.

Previously, the Central Government had assured the top court that till the matter concerning EWS quota gets resolved, no NEET PG counselling would be held. Recently, during the hearing of the case on November 25, the Central Government sought four weeks time to reconsider the matter and the next hearing of the case has been fixed to take place in January, 2022.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that protesting against this continuous delay in the counselling process for PG medical admission, doctors under the umbrella of several associations including FORDA, Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors' Network 9IMA-JDN) had already given a call for suspension of OPD services.

Escalating the protest, FORDA has now given a call to boycott emergency services as well.

In the latest Press Release, FORDA referred to the latest developments regarding the matter and stated, "A FORDA Delegation led by President, FORDA had a meeting today (6/12/2021), 12.30 onwards, with Honourable Union Health Minister in the presence of Hon'ble DGHS, ADG (ME) & MS (RML Hospital) at RML Hospital, New Delhi. In the meeting, Hon'ble Supreme Court of India for an early hearing. He also mentioned that the MoHFW will try to get the case regarding NEET-PG 2021 Counselling & the case pertaining to Reservation Policy, delinked, to expedite the process. He, however, informed that since the matter is sub judice, he is unable to give any official statement or assurance in public domain & asked the Delegation to call off the agitation based on the verbal assurance."

"The Delegation informed Hon'ble Health Minister that the agitation will continue & the future course of action will be decided following a virtual meeting with State Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) representatives to be held today (6/12/2021), 6.30 p.m. onwards," added the release.