Resident doctors from central government-run Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and the two associated hospitals wrote to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to ensure that the payments that were deducted for the period when they were on strike in December should be made.

The resident doctors from different medical college hospitals across India went on strike and withdrew from all emergency and routine services in December, protesting the delays in NEET-PG 2021 counseling which caused a shortage of young doctors at these hospitals. The strike was called off on the assurance of the union health minister that the counseling dates would be announced soon and no disciplinary action would be taken against the protesting doctors.

The resident doctors wrote that the strike was called off after verbal assurances given by our honorable union health minister that no disciplinary action would be taken against them. But the LHMC administration had taken strike actions against them. They requested the honorable union health minister to look into the matter urgently and take the necessary steps.

Dr Manish Kumar, president of the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) stated that the nationwide strike was called off after a meeting with the union health minister and the medical superintendents. But the director of LHMC wasn’t present at the meeting and hence the salaries were deducted. The resident doctors had a meeting with the director and release of their salaries have been assured next month.

Dr Kumar said the doctors at Delhi University’s University College of Medical Sciences and associated Delhi government-run Guru Teg Bahadur hospital had also faced the same issue, but that too has been resolved.

Source: The Indian Express