NEET-PG counselling: Union Health Minister urges protesting resident doctors to call off strike

New Delhi, Dec 28: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday urged protesting resident doctors to call off the strike as the 'NEET-PG Counselling' issue is "sub-judice before Supreme Court".

After a meeting with the resident doctors, the Health Minister said, "I held a meeting with all resident doctors. We're 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,"

Resident doctors of government-run hospitals on Monday intensified their stir over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling and took out a march from Maulana Azad Medical College in central Delhi to the Supreme Court. However, the protesters were stopped by the police leading to scuffles. At least 12 protestors were detained by the police and released later.

The protesting resident doctors alleged they were "brutally thrashed, dragged, and detained" by the cops.

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Tuesday called for the complete withdrawal of all healthcare services across the country from 8 am on December 29 "in protest of brute force by Delhi Police against doctors in Delhi."

"This is to inform all that the medical fraternity stands absolutely shocked at the sheer display of unprovoked brute force by Delhi Police on our colleagues who have been peacefully protesting in Delhi and many other states since the last one month, with their genuine demand for the immediate declaration of NEET-PG 2021 counelling schedule. However, the lathi charge on our resident doctors and manhandling of many female residents by male police personnel during their peaceful demonstration is a pathetic display of the shameless attitude of the authorities, who we could not believe would stoop so low," a statement from FAIMA.

Resident doctors across the country have been protesting against the multiple postponements of the NEET-PG counselling 2021 since November 27.