Doctors’ strike is still going on, paralysing medical services

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has chosen to keep their strike going on Tuesday after failing to reach an agreement with the Union health minister.

Residents of the Centre-run RML, Safdarjung, and Lady Hardinge hospitals boycotted all routine and emergency services on Monday, December 6, 2021, in support of a statewide protest organised by the FORDA against the NEET-PG 2021 counselling delay.

A statement by FORDA said: “A delegation was led by FORDA’s president in a meeting on Friday at 12:30 p.m. onwards with Union Health Minister at RML Hospital in New Delhi. In the meeting, the Health Minister assured that he had taken a note of our grievances and that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) would get the case mentioned in the Supreme Court for an early hearing.”

The Health Minister also mentioned that the MoHFW would try to get the case regarding NEET-PG 2021 counselling and the case pertaining to Reservation Policy, delinked, to expedite the process. He, however, informed that he was unable to give any official statement or assurance in public domain as the matter was sub judice. He asked the delegation to call off the agitation based on verbal assurance. The FORDA further stated the delegation had informed the Health Minister that the agitation would continue.

Amid the protests by the resident doctors, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling as there was an acute shortage of manpower.