NEET Counseling Protest: Doctors demand immediate release of detained protesters; calls strike

Resident doctors in Delhi again took out a march towards the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in protest against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling.

Resident doctors' groups from various hospitals in Delhi have threatened a complete shutdown of medical services, against the alleged Delhi Police crackdown on their protest over delay in college allotments after the NEET postgraduate (PG) exam.

The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) in a statement has stated that nearly 4,000 doctors ended their sit-in at the Sarojini Nagar police station around midnight on Monday to adhere to the coronavirus night curfew. It has been alleged that they were stopped from marching towards the Health Ministry's offices earlier in the day.

During the day, the doctors organized a protest march towards the Supreme Court, in protest against the delay in NEET 2021 counselling, Delhi Police detained some of them.

Later at night, the resident doctors in Delhi again took out a march towards the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in protest against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling.

Doctors association call for strike
Condemning alleged forceful assault against doctors while doing peaceful protest, the association of some of the hospitals in Delhi have threatened to withdraw from all services if the detained doctors are not released.
“We as an RDA together condemn in strongest of words, the forceful action taken by Police and the concerned authority; on peacefully protesting doctors. We expect all the detained people to be released immediately and observe this day as a black day in the history of the medical fraternity. If the detained are not released we shall be forced to withdraw our support from all services,” states a letter by Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital, Delhi.

FORDA which organized the protest march on Monday has condemned the police action and announced that all healthcare institutions would be completely shut down from today.

"Resident Doctors, the so-called Corona Warriors, protesting peacefully to expedite NEET PG Counselling 2021 were brutally thrashed, dragged and detained by the police. There will be a complete shutdown of all Healthcare Institutions from today onwards,” it said in a statement.

Reportedly, during the day a clash ensued between the Delhi Police and the protesting doctors during which some doctors allegedly broke the glasses of the police vehicle. Following this Police detained 12 doctors, who were later released. As many as seven policemen have also received minor injuries.

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