Resident doctors marked absent, lost salary for NEET PG 2021 Counselling protest: FORDA

NEW DELHI: Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association India (FORDA) has written to the Delhi health minister requesting to take measures regarding the marking of resident doctors who protested to expedite NEET PG 2021 counselling as absent and deduction of their salaries.

In the letter, FORDA said, “Due to non-admission of a fresh batch of resident doctors owing to multiple delays and postponement of NEET PG 2021 Counselling, the existing batch of resident doctors in healthcare institutions were overworked and exhausted physically as well as mentally, which ultimately led to the agitation to expedite NEET PG Counselling 2021 from November 27, 2021, with the participation of thousands of resident doctors across the country.”

The resident doctors association also thanked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for extending support to the resident doctors during agitation. The resident doctors’ protest was finally called off on December 31, 2021, following a meeting with Union health minister Mansukh Manadaviya.

The doctors association claimed that the union health minister assured that “no punitive or disciplinary action will be taken by hospital authorities against any resident doctor, who took part in the agitation”.

However, it said that resident doctors in certain Delhi government medical hospitals, notably, GTB Hospital and IHBAS have been marked absent and their salaries have been deducted.

Requesting Hon’ble @SatyendarJain Sir to take note of punitive action taken against #ResidentDoctors of certain Delhi Government Hospital, namely #GTBHospital, who took part in the nationwide agitation to #ExpediteNEETPGCounselling2021 @ArvindKejriwal @dr_arunkgupta @ANI @ndtv pic.twitter.com/k1LItdYwKn

— FORDA INDIA (@FordaIndia) February 22, 2022

After being deferred multiple times, the Supreme Court closed the arguments on January 6 and upheld the EWS, OBC quota in NEET PG Counselling 2021.

During the meeting held on December 29, FORDA said that the health minister agreed to the following demands.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will submit the committee report to the Supreme Court of India before January 6, 2022, and will submit the NEET PG counselling schedule following the court hearing on January 6.
• The ministry regrets the brutal incident of violence by Delhi police against the resident doctors who were protesting peacefully on December 27, 2021.
• No punitive or disciplinary action will be taken against any resident doctors who took part in the agitation that commenced on November 27, 2021.
• A press conference and the official announcement of the proceedings of the meeting.