Thousands Of Resident Doctors Protesting in Delhi
Resident doctors are protesting at Delhi and demanding that the NEET-PG counselling be conducted at the earliest.
The cases of infection with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus are on the rise, but thousands of resident doctors from medical college-associated hospitals have withdrawn from all services and are protesting in Delhi. Doctors who have completed their MBBS degree and internship have to appear for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) to study for a specialisation. This test usually takes place in January, but in November 2020 the board that conducts the test postponed it due to the Covid-19 situation. It was to be held in April but was further postponed and was conducted in September. After the results, the counselling and the admission process starts. These PG students work as junior resident doctors along with their training in colleges attached to hospitals. However, the counselling and admission process could not begin due to some cases regarding the EWS income pending in the Supreme Court. These junior resident doctors along with those who have completed their PG course and are appointed as senior resident doctors are very important for services offered at big medical college-associated hospitals. Now, students who have completed their three years of PG training have become senior resident doctors but there is no new batch of junior resident doctors coming in as the admission is pending. Because of this there is a shortfall of doctors in hospitals. To make up for the shortfall, the existing doctors have been working for 15 to 18 hours daily. The doctors say that they are exhausted and hence are demanding that the counselling be conducted at the earliest, especially with another wave of Covid-19 looming close. The doctors have been demanding that the Supreme Court and the Union health ministry fast-track the hearing.
