Resident doctors in Maharashtra launch indefinite protest over several demands

The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) said that the primary demand is full waiver of academic fees during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resident doctors in Maharashtra, under the banner of the Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), began on Friday an indefinite strike over various demands, including a complete waiver of academic fees during the ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The strike will continue till all the demands are met, MARD said.

Resident doctors protest at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, Sion (ANI)

The full waiver of academic fees is the protesters' primary demand, Dr Akshay Yadav, a member of the doctors’ body said. “Secondly, the hostel conditions should be improved as these are not good across Maharashtra. Third, TDS should not be deducted from the stipend of resident doctors of hospitals under the BMC. Government hospitals throughout the state are yet to receive Covid-19 incentives,” Yadav further said, according to news agency ANI.

He also said that the higher authorities had called protesters for a discussion on the matter. “However, we want a written assurance but are yet to receive that. Doctors have sacrificed everything for the people of the country. So, we only want justice for Covid-19 warriors,” Yadav remarked.

Speaking on the issue, MARD president Dr Dnyaneshwar Dhobale Patil informed that a meeting will take place on Friday with state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Amit Deshmukh, who holds the medical education portfolio. He added that talks took place between the union and the director of medical education on Thursday as well, but ended without any resolution.

Stressing that MARD has been raising these issues for the last five months, Dhobale clarified that though emergency services will remain open, if the meeting with the deputy CM, too, does not yield any results, doctors will continue their agitation indefinitely and make it “more severe” .