AIIMS doctors join protest against delay in NEET-PG counselling

Doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Tuesday (December 28) joined the ongoing strike of resident doctors protesting delay in NEET-PG counselling.

On Monday (December 27), the protest took a dramatic turn, as medics and police personnel faced off in streets, with both sides claiming to have sustained injuries in the ensuing melee.

FAIMA has asked its member doctors to withdraw from all emergency services after Monday’s violence.

The protesting doctors are expecting a fast track court hearing on quota for economically weaker sections, immediate conduct of NEET-PG-2021 counselling and subsequent admission process. The delays in counselling have been because of cases pending in the Supreme Court over the recently introduced quota for the economically weaker sections. Besides, the resident doctors have been asking for urgent recruitment of doctors because of increased workload.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) and the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) started the agitation in November by first withdrawing from outpatient department (OPD) services. As the protest spread, doctors started boycotting emergency work as well. The government then intervened and the strike was halted for a week. It resumed on December 17 as FORDA members withdrew from all services.

Doctors in other parts of the country too have been protesting.

“Jana Gana Mana”
Nation first..Always!🇮🇳
Around 2500 #ResidentDoctors detained at Sarojini Nagar #PoliceStation, Delhi while marching towards @MoHFW_INDIA #ExpediteNEETPGCounselling2021 @PMOIndia @mansukhmandviya @Drvirendrakum13 @MSJEGOI @barcouncilindia @ANI @MirrorNow @ndtv pic.twitter.com/PHb0kpV74x

— FORDA INDIA (@FordaIndia) December 27, 2021

On Tuesday, AIIMS doctors wrote a letter to the Union Health Minister, warning of withdrawal from all non-emergency work if urgent steps were not taken to address the protesting doctors’ demands. They asked the government to give a report on what action has been taken for expediting NEET-PG counselling. The AIIMS doctors warned that if adequate steps are not taken within 24 hours, they will go on a token strike on December 29 and stop all non-emergency services.

Also read: Doctors face off with cops in Delhi over delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling

Since the ongoing strike has already affected medical services in Safdarjung and Lok Nayak hospitals, patients are being referred to AIIMS. If the doctors at AIIMS too go on strike it would mean the health infrastructure of Delhi would come under intense pressure.