After their 72-hour ultimatum to the Haryana government expired on November 18 afternoon, students of Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, shut down their Out Patient Departments today, November 19, and continued their protest against the government's bond policy. The shutdown was for an hour, from 10 am to 11 am.
"This was a form of symbolic protest. If no response is received from the government soon, we will take more severe steps," said Dr Ankit Gulia, President of the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) at PGIMS. "It was decided that if the authorities of the institute and the government do not meet the demands of the students in the next 24 hours, residents across all departments shall be compelled to escalate the protest with significant consequences," states a letter issued by the RDA.
Hardik Bansal, a student at PGIMS, says, "Today, we will meet the Director. Then, the next step of action will be decided based on the outcomes." He informs that the students were supposed to meet the Vice-Chancellor of PGIMS, Dr Anita Saxena, yesterday (November 18) but due to her absence, the meeting did not come off.
"However, from internal sources, we have come to know that the VC met with the Director and other officials yesterday on this issue, though nothing was conveyed to the students. Today, we will be meeting the Director and will get to know what has been decided," said Akshat Mittal, another student from the institute. He added that the time of the meeting has not been fixed, but they were informed by the Director that it would take place in the morning hours.
Akshat also informed that on Wednesday, November 16, the students had submitted their demands to the VC and she, in turn, forwarded them to the Chief Minister. "But we have not received any response from the government yet, even after the ultimatum expired," said Dr Gulia. On November 15, the MBBS doctors from all the government colleges of Haryana had given a 72-hour ultimatum to the government to address their demands over the bond policy. The students seek either abolition or suitable changes in the bond policy.
The protests by PGIMS are continuing. Today, during the OPD shutdown, they staged street plays, held posters and banners and intimated the patients about their situation and demands. "It was an attempt to make the general public aware of the problems," said Akshat. Dr Gulia adds that the people gathered there supported them in their demands.
The students had earlier threatened that they would march with their demands to Panchkula if they do not receive a response from the government. "Now we have given another 24 hours to the government to take action. Since the weekend is here, there is no use going to Panchkula. But if the government does not respond, we will leave for Panchkula on Monday (November 21)," Dr Gulia stated.
"The students are protesting, not for themselves, but for better healthcare in the state, as the bond policy is a hindrance to this," said Dr Karan Juneja, Chairman, Indian Medical Association (IMA) Junior Doctors' Network, Haryana. He added that associations like the IMA, FORDA and FAIMA are supporting the students.
