Echoes of "Nind hamari khoyi hai; sarkar hamari soyi hai," (We are sleepless but the government is asleep) can be heard at the mass protest organised by the students of Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) Rohtak, today, December 3. The MBBS doctors of government medical colleges in Haryana have gathered at PGIMS to continue their protests against the state's bond policy.
The students of Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College (SHKM) are continuing their hunger strike. Meanwhile, a Mashal March has been arranged today evening from 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm by the students of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal.
This is after the third meeting of the students with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was inconclusive. Though the Residents Doctors' Associations (RDAs) joined their duties again yesterday, December 2, the students claim that this doesn't mean a cessation of their agitation.
"The Resident Doctors (RDs) have rejoined their duties keeping in view the patients' needs," said Akash Mehra, a student at PGIMS. "They are in solidarity with us and will join us in the protests from time to time," he added.
As a part of their protests, the students had shut down the Out-Patient Departments at PGIMS as well as other colleges and the RDs had joined them in the strike. On December 1, the OPDs were partially functional, with only the non-resident staff on duty. And on December 2, some SKHM students tried to create awareness about the bond policy issues among the people by holding placards in public places. Meanwhile, a group of others were seen carrying donation boxes to various places like shops and collecting money, in order to pay for the bond policy.
"It has come down to students begging for money. The government should empower doctors, not enslave them. And MBBS education cannot be quantified," stated Dr Karan Juneja, President of the Junior Doctors' Network (JDN) wing of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). It may be noted that the IMA has also joined the students' protest and OPDs at the private hospitals of Haryana were also shut down recently.
The students have been protesting against the bond policy for over a month now. A meeting with the CM on November 30 remained inconclusive. Though the bond policy amount was brought down from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and the period reduced from 7 to 5 years, students are not satisfied. They demand that the amount be not more than Rs 10 lakh and the period be brought down to one year.
