Resident doctors stage march against delay in NEET-PG counselling, accuse police of violence

New Delhi [India], December 28 : Resident doctors of several hospitals staged a march near Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Monday evening in protest against the delay in holding NEET-PG counselling.
AIIMS Resident Doctors Association said in its official statement that they "condemned the violent act of police today against the doctors, who were protesting peacefully for expediting NEET-PG counselling."
"By brutally thrashing and detaining the doctors, the Government and Police have reached a new low. The medical fraternity has shown exemplary sacrifice for the sake of this nation at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was running a carnage," it read
AIIMS Resident Doctors Association labelled this day as a Black-Day for the entire nation.
"The same workforce feels backstabbed and betrayed by the duplicity of the lawmakers and the police on the issue of NEET counselling. Today's incident will be seen as an enormous blow to the zeal and enthusiasm of the medical fraternity in their fight against COVID. Hence it should be labelled as a Black-Day for the entire nation," the statement said.
AIIMS RDA strongly condemned alleged "brutality" of the Police and the insensitivity of the Government towards the medical fraternity and demanded immediate release of all the doctors detained with unconditional apology from the government and the police.
Prominent Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said in a tweet, "Showering flowers was show off PR. In reality, injustice is pouring in. I stand with #CovidWarriors against the atrocities of the Central Government. #NEETPG"
On December 24, Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the NEET-PG counselling crisis and augment manpower to face a possible third wave of COVID-19 infections.
It is pertinent to note that the original NEET PG exam was scheduled in January 2021 but postponed in view of the first and second wave of COVID-19 and held on September 12, 2021, said the letter. However, due to the legal impediments of the Supreme Court now the Counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45000 doctors in the frontline, added the letter.
"IMA is in pain to see our younger children are forced to be in the streets, fighting for the cause of the community and genuine interest in the Covid care of our country," according to the letter.
"So, on behalf of the 3.5 lacs doctors of this country, we explicitly express our moral support to the resident doctors who are fighting for their rights and we herewith request the Hon'ble Ministry of Health to resolve this matter quickly with compassionate advice and intervention of Hon'ble Prime Minister to restore normalcy lest Indian Medical Association will be forced to adopt direct democratic participation along with the Resident doctors," stated the letter.
"IMA request our Prime Minister of India to resolve the PG Counselling crisis and augment manpower to face the imminent third wave. Indian Medical Association is concerned about the ongoing strike of the Resident doctors and their genuine demands for expediting the PG counselling. It is pertinent to note that the original NEET PG exam was scheduled in January 2021 but postponed in view of the first and second wave of COVID-19 and held on September 12, 2021," said the letter.
"However, due to the legal impediments of the Supreme Court now the Counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45000 doctors in the frontline. Indian Medical Association has constantly raised the issue of manpower development in COVID-19 care in particular and in the healthcare delivery system in total," it added.
"We express our gratitude to Prime Minister for making too much infrastructure development and we appeal once again that the Hon'ble Prime Minister should personally intervene and help the country to build manpower. The Resident doctors are raising the genuine demands and till now it is not been properly resolved," the letter stated.