Delhi Police detains resident doctors; medical association calls for strike on Dec 29
Delhi Police officials detained several resident doctors who were marching towards the residence of the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as a part of protest against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling.
- Dec 28, 2021,
- Updated Dec 28, 2021 10:26 AM IST
Delhi Police officials detained several resident doctors who were marching towards the residence of the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as part of protest against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. Prior to this, the police had detained several resident doctors who were marching towards the Supreme Court of India.
“Earlier today, when we were peacefully protesting for immediate counseling of NEET-PG, we were manhandled by the cops. Many resident doctors, including female doctors, were injured during police brutality. Now we want the cops involved in this to punished,” a resident doctor at RML Hospital told India Today.
As many as 300 resident doctors marched till Sarojini Nagar Police station where they were detained. Doctors also sang the national anthem before being detained. Meanwhile, medical associations have condemned the police action against doctors in the national capital.
Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) demanded suspension of all police personnel at whose directions force was used against protesting doctors including manhandling of female resident doctors by male police personnel.
The FAIMA statement read, “FAIMA strongly condemns the abuse of power by the Delhi Police and demands immediate suspension of all police personnel at whose directions force was used on our doctors. The videos which have surfaced and the stories which have been shared are horrific and makes us question whether we have gone back to the barbaric times, or whether the administration feels like they can do whatever they want to suppress dissent?”
FAIMA further stated in its release that they are suspending all healthcare services from 8 am on December 29 in solidarity with the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and other resident doctors’ associations (RDAs). The association asked other doctors’ associations to also follow suit and issue intimations regarding the same.
FORDA, on the other hand, called this a “black day in the history of medical fraternity of the nation”. It condemned police action against protesting doctors and announced that all healthcare institutions would be completely shutdown from today.
“Resident Doctors, the so-called ‘Corona Warriors’, protesting peacerfulyl to expedite NEET-PG counseling 2021 in Delhi were brutally thrashed, dragged and detained by the cops. There will be complete shutdown of all healthcare institutions today onwards. We strongly condemn this brutality and demand immediate release of FORDA representatives and resident doctors,” the FORDA statement read.
AIIMS RDA recounted the sacrifices made by doctors during the second COVID-19 wave when India’s healthcare system was stretched way beyond its means while condemning the police brutality against protesting resident doctors.
“AIIMS RDA 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. This incident is sensitive enough to spark the shutdown of all medical activities by the resident doctors; and in the absence of the government’s immediate response the RDA will not fail to do so. It's high time for the government to release a report of what has been done will date, and what are the government’s plans moving forward, for expediting NEET-PG counseling,” AIIMS RDA said in a press release.
It also decided to shut down healthcare services including all non-emergency services from December 29 if government does not respond within 24 hours.
Delhi Police officials detained several resident doctors who were marching towards the residence of the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as part of protest against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling. Prior to this, the police had detained several resident doctors who were marching towards the Supreme Court of India.
“Earlier today, when we were peacefully protesting for immediate counseling of NEET-PG, we were manhandled by the cops. Many resident doctors, including female doctors, were injured during police brutality. Now we want the cops involved in this to punished,” a resident doctor at RML Hospital told India Today.
As many as 300 resident doctors marched till Sarojini Nagar Police station where they were detained. Doctors also sang the national anthem before being detained. Meanwhile, medical associations have condemned the police action against doctors in the national capital.
Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) demanded suspension of all police personnel at whose directions force was used against protesting doctors including manhandling of female resident doctors by male police personnel.
The FAIMA statement read, “FAIMA strongly condemns the abuse of power by the Delhi Police and demands immediate suspension of all police personnel at whose directions force was used on our doctors. The videos which have surfaced and the stories which have been shared are horrific and makes us question whether we have gone back to the barbaric times, or whether the administration feels like they can do whatever they want to suppress dissent?”
FAIMA further stated in its release that they are suspending all healthcare services from 8 am on December 29 in solidarity with the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and other resident doctors’ associations (RDAs). The association asked other doctors’ associations to also follow suit and issue intimations regarding the same.
FORDA, on the other hand, called this a “black day in the history of medical fraternity of the nation”. It condemned police action against protesting doctors and announced that all healthcare institutions would be completely shutdown from today.
“Resident Doctors, the so-called ‘Corona Warriors’, protesting peacerfulyl to expedite NEET-PG counseling 2021 in Delhi were brutally thrashed, dragged and detained by the cops. There will be complete shutdown of all healthcare institutions today onwards. We strongly condemn this brutality and demand immediate release of FORDA representatives and resident doctors,” the FORDA statement read.
AIIMS RDA recounted the sacrifices made by doctors during the second COVID-19 wave when India’s healthcare system was stretched way beyond its means while condemning the police brutality against protesting resident doctors.
“AIIMS RDA 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. This incident is sensitive enough to spark the shutdown of all medical activities by the resident doctors; and in the absence of the government’s immediate response the RDA will not fail to do so. It's high time for the government to release a report of what has been done will date, and what are the government’s plans moving forward, for expediting NEET-PG counseling,” AIIMS RDA said in a press release.
It also decided to shut down healthcare services including all non-emergency services from December 29 if government does not respond within 24 hours.