Junior doctors in government medical colleges have been working at the forefront of India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and are now concerned that they will have to return to an exhausting, unhealthy and insecure work environment, noted India Spend through some interviews.

If they have to be posted on COVID-19 duty again, the junior doctors stated that they would prefer that they are paid better and on-time salaries, given time to pursue their specialization and getthe required medical infrastructure and mental health support at work. 

India Spend talked to doctors, hospital administrators and government representatives from state-run medical colleges in Madhya Pradesh. Around 3,000 junior residents of six colleges there had resigned from their jobs on June 3 as a sign of their protest.

The doctors joined their duty again after the state government agreed to their demands on June 7 and increased their salary by 17%. Young doctors and medical staff had been protesting during the pandemic for basic rights such as salaries, protection from attacks by patients’ families, better staffing, poor quality hospital equipment, etc. Some graduates have even resigned from their jobs due to frustration.

Junior doctors at government medical colleges have complained that their postgraduate studies have been affected, which has raised concern over their career progression. For doctors who started their postgraduate studies just prior to the pandemic, two out of the three years will have been devoted to COVID-19 work. Parag Sharma, associate professor of respiratory medicine at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal said that this won’t be useful for them. At Gandhi Medical College, every one of around 400 junior doctors was assigned COVID-19 duty over the last two waves. This included those who had chosen surgery, orthopedics and ophthalmology specializations, which have no links to COVID-19 treatment.

Established systems at the country’s health facilities collapsed and there has been acute staff shortage, high rates of infection among doctors and quarantine requirements. Hence, junior doctors were assigned unfamiliar roles which has resulted in widespread discontent.

Close to 1,492 doctors have died due toCOVID-19. All doctors had to go beyond their duty during the spikes in COVID-19, worked extended hours in uncomfortable protective gear and exposed themselves and their families to risk of infection.

By June 25, 38 practitioners from MP had died while on COVID-19 duty, which includes interns, junior residents, general practitioners and senior resident doctors at both private and government facilities. Hareesh Pathak, a junior resident at Gandhi Medical College, said that they were forced into this without any preparation, stipend honors, or securities from the state government. He added that they have not even received Rs 10,000 COVID-duty honorariums which was promised by the CM.

Around two months following the peak of the second wave, on 3rd June, 3,000 junior residents of six state medical colleges under the Junior Doctors’ Association of Madhya Pradesh resigned from their jobs. They had the support of close to 3,500 senior doctors. For six months, junior residents at MP’s government-run medical colleges had been requesting for security in case of a possible attack by grieving families, a 6% annual increment in their salaries which is pending since 2018, a 24% stipend hike, reservation of COVID-19 beds for members of the medical community, decrease in college fees and dissolution of the essential one year rural posting at the end of their studies.

Despite several assurances by the state medical education minister Vishvas Sarang, nothing concrete happened and junior doctors offered their collective resignation. Pathak said that they were forced to take the step of mass resignation.

Jiten Shukla, new dean at Gandhi Medical College, said that though he agreed with the grievances of junior doctors, a strike is not justified. Shukla added that the government had agreed to the demands of junior doctors and increased their salaries by 17%. Orders on other demands would also be declared soon, said Shukla.

The pandemic has kept junior doctors busy but has been a setback for their careers. In one month, they were assigned to COVID-19 duties for 14 days. They could devote the remaining days to their specialization. However, during the second surge, they had to skip the weekly quarantine. Additionally, there have been fewer non-COVID patients visiting the hospitals, and hence, the junior doctors have been getting very little exposure to their areas of specialization. Parag Sharma, associate professor at Gandhi Medical College, said that the time spent in COVID-19 wards has been a setback to the education of junior residents.

Moreover, the future of students preparing for the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test 2021 seems to be in the dark. Examination might get postponed again as the third wave is imminent.

Most junior doctors are complaining of exhaustion and emotional numbness. Junior doctors have been exposed to immense stress prematurely, said therapists.

Source: Scroll.in