Federation of Resident Doctors' Association of India(FORDA) has put on hold its 11-day long all India strike of residents in support of the NEET-PG- 21 counselling and admission of the first batch of residents across the country for a week, citing the security situation that has arisen due to the sudden demise of Chief of the Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 brave soldiers in an IAF helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on December 8.
The FORDA has given December 16 as a new deadline for the Union Health Ministry to resolve the issue by fast-tracking it in the Supreme Court and starting the process for counselling for the NEET-PG 21. The RDAs say they are overburdened and exhausted and have left with no option other than resorting to the last resort: strike,
The health services in IGMC, Government Medical College Tanda, NerChowk in Mandi, PGI, AIIMS, other health institutions have been badly hit for the last over a week because of the strike by the residents. We work continuously for 38- 44 hours daily as we are overburdened due to the shortage of residents, the doctors said. FORDA president Dr Manish, general secretary Dr Sunil Arora and Dr KulSaurabh in a joint statement said that they have decided to put the all India strike on hold for a week in view the security situation due to the tragic death of the CDC Gen Rawat and his wife and 11 other brave officers in the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday,
FORDA’s call has come as a major relief to the health authorities and patients who have been bearing the brunt of the strike. The resident doctors have suspended the OPDs and other duties including emergency services except the Covid- 19 services in the hospitals across the country.
They said the federation has given a time bound notice to the Union Health Ministry demanding that the government should fast track the court hearing and start the counselling for the NEET-PG-2021.
The federation said that they hold multiple meetings with the Health Ministry officials, but they have been saying that the issue is in active consideration of the Health Ministry and even Prime Minister, but nothing but empty assurances have come out of this so far.
FORDA warned if the issue is not resolved by December 16, the residents doctors will be forced to go on a mass strike in the country. They will suspend all services except the Covid-19 related service in all healthcare institutions in the country, they asserted.
The resident doctors across the country have been protesting since November 27th 2021 demanding the holding of the counselling for the NEET- PG 2021 and subsequent admission for the fresh batch of resident doctors for the current academic year. "We are overburdened and over-exhausted,, which is not enough to wake up the government, we have no option but to go on strike", they rued.
