NEET PG Counselling: FAIMA calls for Complete Shutdown of Elective Services from December 1
New Delhi: Taking the pan-India agitation against the pending NEET-PG counselling process to the next level, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has decided to go on a complete shutdown of elective services from December 1, 2021.
Before that, the resident doctors across India would organize nationwide demonstrations, agitation and token strike and wait for any written statement regarding the counseling process.
This decision has been taken in an emergency meeting that was held on November 29, 2021, at 10 PM. Several top RDA officials and FAIMA office bearers had participated in the meeting to decide on the Joint National Action Plan.
"The meeting was attended by top RDA officials across the country and an unanimous consensus has been reached that the nationwide protests and agitation by resident doctors throughout the country to expedite NEET PG 2021 counselling shall continue as decided, till a written statement mentioning the date of the judicial hearing or commencement of counselling is issued from competent authority," FAIMA mentioned in the Press Release.
Also Read: NEET PG Counselling delay: Here is how doctors reacted Pan India
"There will be nationwide demonstrations and agitation by resident doctors on 30th November 2021. If no written statement is issued by the midnight of 30th November, Resident Doctors Associations (RDAs) and Junior Doctor Associations (JDAs) across the country will go on complete shutdown of elective services from December 1, 2021," further warned FAIMA.
Apart from this, FAIMA in the Press Release has also mentioned about constituting a National Action Committee for taking further decisions. This Committee shall comprise leaders of all major institutional and state RDAs and "all further decisions regarding the continuation or termination of the Strike shall be taken by the Nation Action Committee," added the Release.
"Any attempts to take vindictive measures by any State or Institutional authorities against any resident doctors may lead to escalation of the agitation and the responsibility of the impact of such unnecessary measures shall be on the administration," warned the doctors and further pointed out that "With the possibility of an imminent upcoming COVID wave, it is essential that the counseling process is started at the earliest to prevent collapse of the healthcare system".
"We request all stakeholders and administrative authorities to ensure that the process of induction of new doctors is completed at the earliest," the Release added.
Earlier FAIMA had decided to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar. However, that couldn't be arranged due to lack of prior permission from Delhi police.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Dr. Rohan Krishnan, the President of FAIMA said, "Already nationwide agitation is on. We have decided to hold a toke strike today and if we do not hear from the authorities then we will go for complete shutdown from tomorrow onwards. However, doctors belonging to States like Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh wanted to go for complete shutdown already. So we have also extended our support to them."
"One of the major problems with the pending NEET PG counseling is the heavy workload on the present doctors. However, RML Hospital has already provided a solution for that and following our agitation, the hospital authorities have allotted non academic junior residents to take charge of the broad specialties," he added.
