IMA extends support to Haryana MBBS students protesting bond fee

NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association on Wednesday extended its support to MBBS students in Haryana's Rohtak protesting a policy that mandated them to pay a bond fee of around Rs 10 lakh during admission, and said such a system should be either scraped or modified. The IMA urged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to establish a constructive discourse to consider the legitimate demand, and asserted that the bond system should be either scraped or modified to suit the government and the students alike.

"The nation is in shock to note that while exercising the democratic rights to oppose such moves, students became a victim of barbaric police action, where female doctors were manhandled, detained by the state police and the gathering was showered with water cannons on a cold night," the IMA said in a statement. Such treatment by the state government is deeply discouraging, reprehensible and reflects an insensitive and callous attitude, it said, adding that it is disrespectful to the democratic peaceful protest.

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On November 5, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA)in its letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said, "An unwarranted fee hike in the form of a despicable bond policy followed by police action on innocent doctors who have given their best in all circumstances including the COVID-19 pandemic, shows the apathy and weak memory the government has". This incident will not only "bring down the morale of doctors" in the state in particular and the country in general, but will also "widen the gap between doctors and the government”, it wrote.

Doctors at various government-run hospitals in Delhi wore black ribbons at work on Monday in solidarity with MBBS students in Haryana's Rohtak protesting the bond policy. Khattar on November 2 had said no student will have to deposit the Rs 10 lakh bond amount at the time of admission for MBBS in government colleges. According to a Haryana government statement, they will instead have to sign a bond-cum-loan agreement of the amount with the college and the bank concerned.