‘Shortage of about 50,000 resident doctors throughout the nation as result of NEET-PG counselling delay,’ writes MARD in letter to Mansukh Mandaviya

The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has written to the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, stating that the resident doctors in Maharashtra’s government medical colleges have decided to withdraw from Out Patient Department (OPD) services beginning tomorrow, December 4th, 2021, due to the unexpected postponement of NEET-PG 2021 counselling, which has resulted in an acute shortage of doctors in the hospitals.

According to the letter, only two batches of residents are now present in hospitals, resulting in an overburdening of resident doctors throughout the nation. The physicians are likewise on the edge of collapsing.

To mark their protest against the repeated delay of NEET-PG 2021 counselling, the resident doctors have decided to withdraw from OPD services starting from tomorrow.

Dr Akshay Yadav, Sion MARD President, said that “The NEET counselling has been postponed and we are facing a lot of difficulty because of that. In Sion hospital, we have a shortage of around 220 doctors. In Mumbai, there are 700 to 800 doctors less and throughout the country, we have a shortage of around 40,000 to 50,000 doctors.”

“Due to this shortage of doctors, we are really stressed out, we don’t get proper sleep and it is also affecting our health and our preparation for exams. This is also causing a delay in the treatment of patients which sometimes also results in violence towards doctors. With the new variant in the country, we will need more staff but the opposite of that is happening,” Dr. Yadav added.

Through the letter, the doctors have urged the Union government and the Supreme Court to take note of their grievances and take measures for expediting the NEET-PG 2021 counselling and to fast track the court proceedings.