DMA to organise Walkathon highlighting issues like increasing NEET PG cut-offs, FMG problems

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has announced a Walkathon for the rights of doctors, nurses, medical students and other medical staff today, September 12. 

In an announcement for the same, Dr Ashwini Dalmiya, President of the Delhi Medical Association, shared a poster with the details of the Walkathon. 

“Chalo Rajghat! Doctors unite, step by step, for their rights, in a Medical Marathon,” reads the poster of the Walkathon, which is set to take place on October 29. 

Explaining the need to announce the Walkathon more than a month in advance, Dr Dalmiya says that this time is needed to raise awareness of the problems faced by the Indian medical fraternity among the general public and the authorities. 

“Doctors have not been able to put on a show of strength in this country so far. As a result, we have set aside six weeks to not only build awareness about our problems but also mobilise ourselves and come together in an organised fashion,” Dr Dalmiya says. 

Though this Walkathon, the association aims to highlight issues like the increased cut-offs in the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) admissions, low stipends for resident doctors, the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), and above all, the increase in the incidents of patient violence against junior resident doctors, medical interns, nurses, and other Healthcare Workers (HCWs).

Talking in greater detail about their methods to raise awareness of these issues, Dr Dalmiya says, “We have prepared about 20 delegations from various medical associations, medical students’ associations, nurses’ associations, paramedic associations, and resident doctors’ associations to meet with authorities at local, state and national levels to make them cognizant of the issues we are facing. For more serious issues like the violence on HCWs, we would seek meetings with Mansukh Mandaviya, our Union Health Minister, and Amit Shah, our Union Home Minister.” 

He further says that since the Walkathon would take place in Delhi, it would be easier for them to talk to both the state government officials and ministers of Delhi, as well as those from the Central government. 

Associations like the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA), the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), the Delhi Medical Council (DMC), the Delhi Nursing Council (DNC), FMG Associations, Paramedics’ Associations, and other medical associations would be joining the DMA in the Walkathon. 

“Further, medical associations from neighbouring states like Haryana would also be joining us to discuss their problems,” says Dr Dalmiya

These organisations would begin the Walkathon from the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) in New Delhi, and end at Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.