Resident doctors, who have been protesting against the delay in NEET-PG counselling, called off their strike at 12 pm on Friday, and returned to work in hospitals in Delhi and across the country, reported India Today. Representatives have reportedly said that two of their demands have been met, and that they would wait for the Supreme Court hearing on 6 January.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said that they met with Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, on 30 December, and that that they were given an assurance by the Health Minister that the NEET-PG counselling would begin before 6 January.
The president of the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), Dr Manish, had earlier announced that they would call off their strike against the delay in NEET 2021 counselling at 12 pm on Friday.
The withdrawal, however, is conditional. Representatives said that if the counselling dates were not announced after the SC hearing, the doctors would reassess their plans.
"If the counselling dates are not announced on January 6, the FORDA will regather and decide on the future course of action," Dr Manish Kumar told India Today.
Members of the medical fraternity have been protesting against the delay in NEET-PG counselling and the police crackdown on the doctors' agitation in Delhi on Monday, 27 December.
"We had a meeting with Joint CP last night. Withdrawal of the FIR process started (in connection with ITO protest). After 12 pm today, we'll call off our strike against the delay in NEET 2021 counselling," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
He further said that patients were suffering, and that many surgeries were deferred. Considering the situation, the doctors would be calling off their strike, he added.
On Thursday, Dr Manish had said:
"We want the doctors not to protest at different places. So all the resident doctors have decided to protest at Lady Hardinge Medical College. We want an apology from the Delhi Police for misbehaviour with our doctors and withdrawal of FIRs."
The Resident Doctors' Association of Delhi's Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital had also said that its members were "resuming services completely," following assurances from senior officials of Union Health Ministry and the Delhi Police over the FIR and counselling issue, ANI reported.
IMA's Appeal to the Health Minister
A delegation led by IMA national president, Dr Shahjanand Prasad Singh, met with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 30 December, and discussed the issue of delayed admission to PG medical course. The IMA also appealed to the minister to withdraw the FIRs lodged against the protesting junior doctors.
Singh told ANI that the Health Minister had assured them that the NEET-PG counselling would start before 6 January, and that there would be no FIRs against the doctors.
Background
Several Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) had called for a complete shutdown of all medical services across the country from Wednesday, 29 December, as the doctors' strike launched in the national capital went pan-India.
The protesting resident doctors employed at state and centre-run government hospitals had been detained by the Delhi Police on Monday, 27 December, after which FORDA had announced "a complete shutdown of all healthcare institutions today onwards."
In a letter, Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) condemned the police action, and called for a complete suspension of services across the country from Wednesday.
Earlier, in a statement condemning police action, FORDA claimed "police brutality" and called it a "black day in the history of the medical fraternity".
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