Resident doctors in healthcare institutions under the platform of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) have threatened to withdraw from all services, including routine and emergency services, from December 17 over their demand of urgent hearing of NEET PG counseling 2021, which is pending before the Supreme Court.
The FORDA has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in this regard. The resident doctors' associations across the nation have been protesting since November 27 against the multiple postponement of the NEET PG counseling and the subsequent admission of the fresh batch of resident doctors in the medical colleges. The RDAs have boycotted emergency and routine services in hospitals from December 6.
However, the federation announced to suspend its agitation for one week after getting positive assurance from the Health Ministry on December 9.
The federation has said in the letter that the resident doctors across the nation have waited patiently since the agitation was put on hold on December 9 for one week following assurance of expediting the NEET PG counseling and considering multiple factors, including patient care.
With the threat of the third wave of Covid-19 looming large, the best the authorities could have done was to expedite the counseling and a subsequent admission process, but instead there is inaction and lack of urgency in the matter, the letter read.
Urging the Health Ministry to take the measures for fast-tracking court hearings and for expediting NEETA PG counseling and admission process, the federation said that it is left with no choice but to go for withdrawal from all services, routine as well as emergency, in the healthcare institutions from December 17.
Admissions for NEET PG have been delayed due to the dispute over revising the income criteria for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota. Approximately 16 lakh candidates too are waiting for the NEET UG Counselling 2021 this year.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to explain the idea behind having the same income criteria of Rs. 8 lakh for determining the eligibility of EWS, OBC candidates. Following this, the top court had also asked Centre to give its assurance on not starting the Counselling till a solution is sought.