Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has regretted the police behaviour on protesting doctors and asked the resident doctors to call off their strike in the public interest. Police personnel had lathi-charged protesting doctors who marched towards the Supreme Court demanding to expedite the NEET PG counselling hearing.
After the clash between police and doctors, doctors across India have called for a nationwide shutdown of medical services including emergency services on December 29. This is happening amid the rising cases of new Covid-19 variant Omicron in India.
Soon after the Health Minister’s statement, AIIMS doctors call off the strike. All services will continue as normal at the AIIMS hospitals on December 29. Earlier today, AIIMS doctors had come out in support of protesting resident doctors after maintaining a distance from the protest. In an official statement, “It’s high time for the government to release a report of what has been done to date. If no adequate response from the government is received within 24 hours, AIIMS RDA shall proceed with a token strike on 29/12/21 including the shutdown of all non-emergency services.”
The police action against doctors did not go down well. The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) had called for a nationwide shutdown including emergency services. “If authorities think they can get await with using whatever oppressive means they have at their disposal, they are wrong,” said FAIMA.
Representatives from FORDA had earlier too met the minister and had called off their strike after the meet. The minister had then assured the doctors that the case will be taken up for an early hearing in the Supreme Court.
Doctors have been demanding fast track hearing of NEET PG counselling cases. Under the case, the government is reconsidering the Rs 8 lakh rationale for the EWS quota in the All India Quota (AIQ) for medical college admissions.
As a mark of the protest, doctors threw flowers at barricades, and thumped utensils and said they are returning the ‘taali’ and ‘thaali’. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government authorities had showered floral petals from mid-air and had asked people to clang utensils and clap for a few minutes by coming out in the open in balconies of their homes, to acknowledge the doctors.
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