Maharashtra: Over 7,000 resident doctors in government colleges protest demanding recruitment, better hostels

MUMBAI: More than 7,000 resident doctors at government colleges in Maharashtra went on strike on Monday over a range of issues, including the quality of hostels and filling of vacant posts of assistant and associate professors.

Talking to reporters, state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan said he has asked resident doctors to engage in a dialogue and urged them not to stretch the matter further. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which has called the strike, has claimed that students at government colleges were facing problems due to poor quality of hostels.

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The resident doctors have also pressed for the recruitment of 1,432 senior resident doctors and demanded filling vacant posts of associate and assistant professors. The minister said half of the demands of the striking doctors were being approved immediately, and Rs 12 crore has been given to the public works department (PWD) for repair works.

MARD claimed that after repeatedly pleading with the government to increase dorm amenities, they were obliged to issue the call for the strike. ‘While going on strike is our last option, we still hope that patients won’t suffer.’

@CMOMaharashtra @PMOIndia @mieknathshinde @girishdmahajan @Dev_Fadnavis @mybmc @FordaIndia @imajdnnational @BmcMard @KemMARD @sionmard @NairMARD #OnlyAssurancesNoImplementation#DearnessAllowanceIsOurRight pic.twitter.com/YupSgB9eQi

— BMC MARD (@BmcMard) January 2, 2023

According to MARD, president Avinash Dahiphale, the government has neglected their demands for years and said: "The number of resident doctors at JJ Hospital has expanded to 900, yet the number of students housed there has stayed constant at 300. Since the 1990s, the facility has not expanded. All emergency work will be done on Monday, but if our demands are not met, we might halt."

“We are positive about everything. They (doctors) should have spoken to us before going on strike,” Mahajan said. Talking to PTI, MARD president Avinash Dahiphale said the association has not received any proposal from the state government for talks. Resident doctors are a crucial cog in the government and civic body run hospitals, which see heavy footfall of patients.