NEET-PG 2021 Counselling Delay: Protesting doctors light 'diyas'

New Delhi: Scores of resident doctors in Delhi on Wednesday evening lit up 'diyas' in the campus of a medical college here to register their protest over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, even as patient care remained affected at various facilities in the city. On Tuesday, a group of doctors had thrown flowers on security barricades, and clanged utensils and clapped in front of the Nirman Bhawan here, saying they were symbolically "returning" the adulation showered on them for being Covid warriors.

On Wednesday, a large number of doctors protested outside the Nirman Bhawan, which houses the office of the Union health ministry, for the third consecutive day, and then late evening they assembled on the premises of the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and lit up 'diyas' and marched around.

NAMC comes under the Delhi government and three facilities, including the LNJP Hospital, are attached to it. As their stir led by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), resumed after a week-long hiatus, entered into its sixth day on Wednesday, patient care remained affected at three Centre-run facilities -- Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge hospitals -- and some of the Delhi government-run hospitals.

The IMA's Junior Doctors Network on Monday had written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya demanding fast-tracking of the court hearing to expedite NEET-PG 2021 counselling, while extending solidarity with resident doctors. Many wore white lab coats, and stethoscopes thrown around the neck, chucked floral petals on security barricades, and on a lab coat hung on a barricade, with 'Dear Union Health Ministry' scrawled on its back, as scores of other medics clanged utensils, clapped and chanted 'We want justice', on Tuesday.

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government authorities had showered floral petals from mid-air and asked people to clang utensils and clap for a few minutes by coming out in the open in balconies of their homes, in acknowledgement of the yeoman services rendered by doctors to fight the pandemic. In a statement issued Wednesday night, FORDA appealed to all NEET-PG aspirants and MBBS students of the country to come forward, extend support to the protesting medics and join their agitation.

It earlier said, "Today we are doing 'diya jalao' campaign" to make their voices heard. "We have also requested the honourable presidents of all political parties of the nation to take note of our grievance, and to highlight the issue in the Parliament of India during the ongoing Winter Session," the FORDA had said on Tuesday.