Delhi: Resident doctors end 15 day long strike after promise of no FIR, early NEET-PG counselling
The 15-day long strike across the country by resident doctors finally comes to an end today. The resident doctors demanded the NEET-PG counselling be expedited as soon as possible. The protest was called off today morning. The doctors will get back to their job by noon. This decision came after a meeting with the Joint Commissioner of Police (CP) last night.
“The strike has been called off. We will rejoin work at noon. We had a meeting with the joint commissioner of police (CP) last night where he gave instructions to cancel the FIR. As for the NEET-PG, we have been assured that the court clearance will come during the January 6 hearing,” said Dr Manish Kumar, president, Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA).
Dr. Manish, president FORDA says patients are already suffering, many surgeries deferred. Considering this situation they are calling off the strike at 12pm today. pic.twitter.com/lYoss95wue
— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2021
Advertisement
On Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya assured the doctors in a meeting that the FIR will be dismissed. For their primary demand of expediting the counselling process, he said that the government will submit their report before January 6 hearing and ensure that the counselling happens as soon as possible. However, the doctors refused to call off the strike.
The protest began at the end of November after the hearing of the Supreme Court when the government had asked for 4 weeks. They began the strike by not attending the OPD clinics and then from routine services like patient care, planned surgeries followed by emergency services. The strike was paused for a week after the minister assured to work on their demands. However, the strike resumed on December 17 since when all services of big medical colleges and hospitals have been affected.
When one of the most crucial professionals of a country goes on strike, the entire population is affected. The doctors couldn’t afford to stay in the protest for a very long time. The doctors expressed their fury that the delay in NEET PG counselling has left the hospitals short-staffed with the 3rd year PG students leaving but the first batch has not yet joined. They added that resident doctors had to work 100 to 120 hours a week due to this. Meanwhile, nearly 45,000 NEET-PG aspirants across the country are waiting to join the workforce.
For more breaking news, click here.