Rohtak: Resident doctors call off strike; MBBS students’ protest continues

MBBS students continued their strike at the PGIMS here on Friday but the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), who have been supporting the protesters, has withdrawn their strike

The MBBS students continued their strike at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here on Friday but the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), who have been supporting the protesters, has withdrawn their strike and resumed services at out-patient department and other wards of elective surgeries.

The MBBS students continued their strike at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here on Friday but the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), who have been supporting the protesters, has withdrawn their strike and resumed services at out-patient department and other wards of elective surgeries. (Manoj Dhaka/HT)

More than 500 MBBS students have been protesting against the state government’s bond policy since November 3 and their several meetings with government officials remained inconclusive.

The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) and several social organisations have been backing the MBBS students. The RDA had decided to resume their services after holding a meeting on Thursday night.

Priya Kaushik, a representative of the MBBS protesters, said the resident doctors’ association has not withdrawn support from the MBBS students but they have resumed services on humanitarian grounds.

“They resumed their services as patients are suffering and every doctor’s first duty is to treat patients. It was difficult to shut down OPD services for such a long time. The resident doctors are still guiding us and we will continue our strike until the government gives us job guarantee and makes it mandatory for MBBS pass outs to serve for only one year in government hospitals,” she added.

The association has expressed gratitude to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his assurance pertaining to the bond policy.

In a communique to the PGIMS, the resident doctors association said, “The nature of policy may be subjected to deliberations and development in the future. The fraternity looks forward to the assurance given through the meeting on November 30. We shall look forward to an official clarification from the state government pertaining to the SOPs for the implementation of policy and we hope that it will be in the best interest of UG students.”

Some members of retired karamchari association met the MBBS students at PGIMS and extended their support to them.

After the RDA resumed services, patients started coming to the out-patient department and elective surgeries ward from Friday.