Delhi: Doctors threaten total strike after police crackdown on protests over NEET

Protest by a large number of resident doctors in Delhi on Monday took a dramatic turn, as doctors and police personnel faced off in streets.

Resident doctors' groups have now threatened a complete shutdown of medical services, alleging a brutal police crackdown.

The protest over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, led by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association, has been going on for several days. The doctors body also said that several of its members were "detained" when they tried to hold a protest march from Maulana Azad Medical College to Supreme Court.

The federation has called upon all resident doctors associations across India for complete shutdown of healthcare services from Wednesday. The AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association has come out in support of the protests saying it shall shut down all non-emergency services on Wednesday if no adequate response is received from the government within 24 hours.

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However, the police denied any allegations of using excessive force or abusive language and said only 12 protesters were detained and released later.

Junior doctors have said the delay in NEET-PG counselling continued to hold back new doctors from entering medical colleges.

FORDA president Manish claimed that resident doctors of a large number of major hospitals on Monday "returned their apron (lab coat) in a symbolic gesture of rejection of services".

"We also tried to march from the campus of the Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) to Supreme Court, but soon after we had started it, security personnel did not allow us to proceed," he said.

Manish also alleged that several doctors were "detained" by police force, and taken to police station premises, before being released after some time. He also alleged that "police force was used and many doctors were injured" during their dramatic face-off.

In a statement issued later, FORDA said it was a "black day in the history of the medical fraternity".

"Resident doctors, the so-called 'Corona Warriors', protesting peacefully to expedite NEET PG Counselling 2021 were brutally thrashed, dragged and detained by the police," it alleged "There will be complete shutdown of all ,healthcare institutions from today onwards," the statement said.

In an official statement issued later, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Meena said, on Monday, a group of resident doctors "without having any authorised permission" blocked the BSZ Marg, main road between ITO and Delhi gate, and jammed the traffic for more than six hours".

"They deliberately created nuisance on the main road and blocked both carriageways, causing hardship and harassment to commuters and general public," he claimed in the statement.