Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday held a meeting with representatives of protesting resident doctors and urged them to call off the same as an intensified agitation over the delay in NEET-PG counselling across the country affected healthcare services at government-run hospitals.
The doctors are yet to take a decision on the plea from the government, but said they will hold talks later in the evening to decide on the future course of action.
Addressing the media after the meeting with a delegation of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), Mandaviya said the government is unable to go ahead with the counselling as the matter is sub judice and being heard by the Supreme Court.
The health minister said the government is taking all requisite steps and a suitable reply with respect to the EWS report will be submitted to apex court before the next date of hearing on January 6. “We request the court to expedite the issue so that the counselling can be started at the earliest,” he added.
Mandaviya then urged the protesting resident doctors who he said tirelessly served the nation during the coronavirus pandemic to call off their days-long agitation in public interest.
{{/usCountry}}Mandaviya then urged the protesting resident doctors who he said tirelessly served the nation during the coronavirus pandemic to call off their days-long agitation in public interest.
{{/usCountry}}The meeting at Nirman Bhavan took place in the wake of the doctors threatening to withdraw all healthcare services across the country "in protest against brute force by Delhi Police against” their colleagues a day ago. The doctors have demanded an apology for alleged police brutality.
Later, Dr Manish, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association that is leading the agitation a doctor, said the strike is still underway. “We demand a written apology for police brutality during yesterday's protest of resident doctors at ITO. We will hold a meeting with all RDAs at 8pm today to decide the future course of action,” Dr Manish was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
A rally by a large number of resident doctors in Delhi on Monday took a dramatic turn late on Monday with medics and police personnel having a face-off in streets, with both sides claiming several persons suffered injury in the ensuing melee.
While doctors across hospitals in Delhi continued their agitation, patients and their family members were seen standing in long queues outside the facilities.