Hyderabad: The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) on Wednesday called for a total shutdown of elective services after announcing suppression for the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) which announced a pan-India agitation against the delayed NEET-PG counselling process to the next level.
Resident doctors across India, including in Telangana are conducting statewide protests, agitation, and symbolic strikes while waiting for a formal statement on the counselling process.
This decision was made at 10 p.m. in an emergency meeting convened on November 29, 2021. The meeting was attended by a number of top RDA officials as well as FAIMA office bearers to make a decision on the Joint National Action Plan.
According to FAIMA media release, “The meeting was attended by top RDA officials across the country and a unanimous consensus has been reached that the nationwide protests and agitation by resident doctors throughout the country to expedite NEET PG 2021 counselling shall continue as decided, till a written statement mentioning the date of the judicial hearing or commencement of counselling is issued from the competent authority.”
FAIMA was also cautioned, “There will be nationwide demonstrations and agitation by resident doctors on 30th November 2021. If no written statement is issued by midnight of 30th November, Resident Doctors Associations (RDAs) and Junior Doctor Associations (JDAs) across the country will go on the complete shutdown of elective services from December 1, 2021.”
Apart from this, FAIMA in the Press Release has also mentioned constituting a National Action Committee for taking further decisions. This Committee shall comprise leaders of all major institutional and state RDAs and “all further decisions regarding the continuation or termination of the Strike shall be taken by the Nation Action Committee,” according to the release.
The doctors alerted, “Any attempts to take vindictive measures by any state or institutional authorities against any resident doctors may lead to escalation of the agitation and the responsibility of the impact of such unnecessary measures shall be on the administration.
The association further pointed out that “With the possibility of an imminent upcoming COVID wave, it is essential that the counselling process is started at the earliest to prevent the collapse of the healthcare system.”
The federation also requests all stakeholders and administrative authorities to ensure that the process of induction of new doctors is completed at the earliest.
Telangana Junior Doctors Association joins pan-India protest
Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) has also joined the pan-India agitation and announced the protest in a letter to the director of medical education, Dr Ramesh Reddy.
The letter read, “This is to inform you that T-JUDA stands in accordance with a consensus decision to FAIMA and all other states RDAs to hold protest and boycott OPD (outpatient department) services from December 1, 2021, to December 3, 2021, provided the Supreme Court happens on the stipulated date of December 3, 2021, beyond which we will escalate the protest by boycotting all elective services throughout the state, repercussions of which will have to be taken by the government.”