Around 300 resident doctors from B J Government Medical College joined their counterparts across the country in the ongoing nationwide agitation against postponement of NEET PG counselling, here on Tuesday.
The doctors did not attend OPD services and staged a demonstration on the campus.
Dr Dnyaneshwar Dhobale Patil, President of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), said their primary demand was to ensure that NEET PG counselling starts immediately.
“Other medical colleges in the state have, however, decided to reduce the intensity of their agitation after a meeting with (Maharashtra Cabinet Minister) Aaditya Thackeray,” he said.
Resident doctors across the country have been on a strike for the last 10 days. “Our committee was just set up and hence, we joined the strike today (Tuesday) as a mark of our protest against repeated delays and postponement of NEET -PG 2021 counselling,” a doctor from MARD-Pune said.
Dr Minish Katkar, President of MARD-Pune, said the body has extended support to Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), IMA- Junior Doctors association and other Resident Doctors’ Association of all states in the pan-India agitation.
“Working residents are exhausted and on the verge of breakdown,” Dr Anup Shivlani, Joint Secretary of Pune unit of MARD, said.
Primary demand was to ensure that NEET PG counselling starts immediately :
Dr Pranav Jadhav, Vice President of FORDA, said the central MARD will continue supporting the nationwide strike and if no immediate action is taken by the Centre, it will intensify the agitation in the coming days.
“We want counselling at the earliest as we are the ones facing the brunt of the pandemic,” Dr Rohan Krishnan, President of FAIMA.
Dr Dnyaneshwar Dhobale Patil, President of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), said their primary demand was to ensure that NEET PG counselling starts immediately.
“We have held several meetings with Union health authorities but there have only been verbal assurance so far,” he added.