230 resident doctors at Nagpur govt medical college go on mass leave

A total of 230 resident doctors of a government medical college in Nagpur in Maharashtra on Tuesday went on an indefinite mass leave demanding they be relieved from Covid-19 duties at a time when the number of cases is falling so that they can focus on post-graduation.

The protest has not affected the emergency and ICU services at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH).

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) president at IGGMCH Dr Rajat Agrawal told PTI that 230 resident doctors decided to go on indefinite mass leave as the issues raised by them in the past remained unresolved.

“The resident doctors of the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital have been working selflessly to treat patients during the Covid pandemic waves for the last 15 months,” he said.

Dr Agrawal said the resident doctors should be allowed to concentrate on post-graduate studies given the pandemic situation in the Nagpur district is under control now.

He also demanded “complete handover of the surgical complex for non-Covid work as per the assurance given by the district collector”.

Dr Agrawal claimed the resident doctors had written memorandums of demands to the IGGMCH dean in the past but failed to receive any response either from the hospital administration or the district administration.

“Under this situation when the academics of resident doctors is being completely neglected by the concerned administration, the IGGMCH resident doctors are left with no choice but to withdraw our services from our duties and go on indefinite mass leave from today,” Dr Agrawal said.