Delhi doctors association again threaten stir from July 9, claim government betrayed them

New Delhi: Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) today threatened to go on strike again

from July 9, alleging that their demands which were accepted by the government during their last meeting were missing from the minutes of the meeting circulated by the health ministry.

"After receiving these minutes we felt betrayed. In spite of two days of patient suffering and resident agitation, all discussions with Government of India has come to naught.

"This shows the callous attitude of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare towards demands for patient welfare and its lack of commitment to provide conducive working environment," said FORDA president Pankaj Solanki.

A section of doctors working in central government hospitals had met the Union Health Secretary at Nirman Bhavan and other senior Health Ministry officials the same day and discussed their problems.

Drawing the government's attention to the six incidents of assault on doctors in the last 24 hours, they warned of going on strike from July 9 if they do not get positive response within two weeks.

"We convey our strong protest on the following points which were agreed to by the government during the meeting but were not recorded in the minutes of the meeting," said Solanki.

They said that no time frame was given about the provision of permanent security measures, proposal for creation of additional posts of resident doctors and regarding construction of new hostels (post graduate and senior resident) on existing land (hostel proposal was conceived in 2010 but there has been no progress in the last half decade).

Also, issues related to infrastructure or water crisis did not reflect in the minutes of the meeting. "During the discussion with the Health secretary, we were assured that there will be no punitive action against us but this is no mention of it there in the minutes," said FORDA general secretary Ravinder Chauhan.

Doctors under FORDA went on two-day strike which was called off on June 23 after Delhi government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against them to normalise the functioning of the hospitals run by it.

The Government of Delhi had also accepted 19 demands put forth by the striking doctors.