AIIMS Delhi doctors call off strike after Health Min's assurance on NEET-PG counselling

After Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya assured that the NEET PG 2021 counselling will be held at the earliest, the Residential Doctors Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences called off their strike. Adding that all the services of the doctors will continue as normal, the association reiterated its support to the protesting doctors and said that it will 'act in haste' if the authorities do not stick to their promise.

AIIMS doctors call off strike

A statement was released in this regard. "Amidst growing tension regarding manhandling of protesting doctors on 27.12.2021 by the Delhi Police and letter from RDA AIIMS New Delhi, the Union Minister has met with the resident doctors and released a press statement on 28.12.2021 assuring the NEET PG 2021 counselling to be held at the earliest. He has also reapproached the manhandling of resident doctors by the Delhi Police", the statement read.

The statement added," We hope that the matter will be resolved at the earliest. Since our demands are met, accordingly the AIIMS, New Delhi RDA has decided to take back the decision of strike on 29th December 2021 vide letter no. 96/RDA/2021."

Meanwhile, doctors of Safdarjung along with doctors of other renowned hospitals in Delhi will continue with the protest. 

The development comes after the Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya met representatives of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association. In the meeting, Mandaviya urged agitating doctors to call off their strike in the public interest. The minister urged doctors to wait till the first week of January in regards to NEET-PG counselling as the matter is sub-judice before Supreme Court.

"I held a meeting with all resident doctors. We are not able to do the counselling because the matter is sub-judice before Supreme Court. The hearing will take place on January 6. I hope that NEET PG counselling will start soon," Mandaviya said, addressing the media after the meeting. 

Doctors-Police tiff in Delhi 

It is pertinent to mention here that a large number of resident doctors are protesting in Delhi over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. During a protest on Monday, there was a clash between the police and the doctors on the road at ITO. Visuals from ITO show both male and female doctors manhandled by the police force.

Thereafter, the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) released a statement in which it expressed shock at the 'sheer display of unprovoked brute force' by Delhi police on their colleagues who have been protesting in Delhi and many other states since the last month, with their demand for the immediate declaration of NEET PG 2021 counselling schedule.

"However the lathi-charge on our resident doctors and manhandling of many female residents by the male police personnel during their peaceful demonstration is a pathetic display of the shameless attitude of the authorities, who we could believe would stoop so low,” it said in a statement, calling for a complete withdrawal from all healthcare services across the country from 8 am on December 29. 

Image: ANI