“Lathicharge 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,” FAIMA said.
New Delhi: Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has called for a complete withdrawal from all healthcare services across the country from 8 am on December 29 “in protest against brute force by Delhi Police against doctors.” In a statement, the FAIMA said that resident doctors were protesting peacefully and alleged that female doctors were brutally thrashed and lathicharged by male police personnel during the demonstration.
It is to be noted is that a large number of resident doctors are protesting in Delhi over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. On Monday, there was a clash between the police and the doctors on the road. Both sides claim that many people have been injured on their side. On which the resident doctors, intensifying their agitation, symbolically returned their ‘aprons’ on Monday and took out a march on the streets.
“This is to inform that the medical fraternity stands absolutely shocked at the sheer display of unprovoked brute force by Delhi police on our colleague who have been peacefully protesting in Delhi and many other states since the last month, with their genuine demand for the immediate declaration of NEET PG 2021 counselling schedule. However the lathicharge 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.
Black day in medical fraternity history
Earlier, the resident doctors association of government-run hospitals has called for a complete shutdown of all healthcare institutions starting Monday after doctors were detained by the Delhi Police during the protest march against delay in NEET-PG counselling.
Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) in a statement claimed “police brutality” and called it a “black day in the history of the medical fraternity”. It also said that resident doctors were protesting “peacefully” and alleged that they were “brutally thrashed, dragged and detained by the cops.”
“There will be a complete shutdown of all Healthcare Institutions today onwards. We strongly condemn this brutality and demand immediate release of FORDA Representatives and Resident doctors,” the statement issued on Monday read.
AIIMS Resident Doctors Association calls for strike
Meanwhile, AIIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) has called for a strike on December 29 including the shutdown of all non-emergency services if no “adequate” response from the government is received over allleged police brutality in the protest march. The AIIMS RDA has demanded immediate release of detained doctors with an apology from the government and the police over alleged police brutality in the protest march.
AIIMS RDA in a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said that it “strongly condemns this brutality of the police and the insensitivity of the government towards the medical fraternity and demands immediate release of all the detained doctors, with an apology from the government and the police.”
“If no adequate response from the government is received within 24 hrs, AIIMS RDA shall proceed with a token strike on December 29 inducing shutdown of all non-emergency services. RDA, AIIMS does not believe in hampering of patient care services and hopes that the government will address the grievances in an appropriate and timely manner, and shall not force us to escalate the protest further,” the statement read. It further stated that the day will be “remembered as a black day for the medical fraternity.”
7 cops hurt during doctors’ protest near ITO
A protest march was held near Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Monday evening following which the police said that seven cops were injured in the march near ITO and consequently registered an FIR under section 188 and other sections for causing obstruction in the duty of police personnel, and damaging public property.
“FIR registered under Section 188 and other sections for causing obstruction in the duty of police personnel, and damaging public property during the protest,” it added.
The issue
On December 24, Indian Medical Association (IMA) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the NEET-PG counselling crisis and augment manpower to face a possible third wave of COVID-19 infections.
It is pertinent to note that the original NEET PG exam was scheduled in January 2021 but postponed in view of the first and second wave of COVID-19 and held on September 12, 2021, said the letter. However, due to the legal impediments of the Supreme Court now the Counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45000 doctors in the frontline, added the letter.
