NEET PG protests: Resident doctors in Delhi continue stir, despite government's peace talks

Despite the Union Health Minister expressing “regret” for any misbehaviour on part of the police and urging Delhi's resident doctors to rejoin work amidst rising COVID cases, the protesting doctors on December 28 were in no mood to relent, The Indian Express reported.

After a face-off with the police and being detained twice a day earlier, the resident doctors had planned to march from the city's Safdarjung hospital to the Health Ministry on December 28. However, when the resident doctors from across medical college-associated hospitals in the city as well as from other states reached Safdarjung, they were greeted with heavy police deployment. 

All the gates of the hospital were barricaded. Even before the march could begin, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya called for a meeting with the representatives of the Resident Doctors’ Association.

For many days, the resident doctors were protesting to expedite and immediately conduct counselling for NEET-PG. After the meeting with six RDA members -- including Dr Manish Kumar, president, Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) -- Mandaviya reportedly said, "The case is sub-judice in the Supreme Court and hence we haven't been able to conduct counselling, but there is a hearing on January 6. Before that, the government of India will submit its report and I hope that counselling starts immediately after."

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Mandaviya added, “Yesterday, during the protest, if there was any misbehaviour on the part of the police, I express my regret. Right now, COVID-19 crisis is going on and to ensure that our citizens do not suffer, I urge that the doctors join their duty.”

However, even after the meeting with Mandaviya, many resident doctors were unwilling to call off the strike. After a quick consultation with various resident doctors’ associations after returning to Safdarjung hospital, Dr Manish Kumar announced, “The strike has not been called off as of now. If someone thinks that a decision like this will be taken behind closed doors, that will not be the case. We will take a decision after consulting with everyone.”

After the announcement, the resident doctors shouted, “Ek do, ek do, counselling ki date do.”

The counselling for NEET-PG admissions is pending because of a clutch of cases in the Supreme Court regarding the newly introduced quota for the Economically Weaker Sections. The doctors have been demanding that the Supreme Court fast-track the hearing and that the union health ministry expedite the submission of a report on the chosen criteria of Rs 8 lakh annual income for eligibility of the quota.