Doctors to continue protest over NEET as talks with health minister fail

Resident doctors in Delhi, who have been protesting over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, have decided to continue their agitation. The decision came on Tuesday after a meeting between their federation's delegation and the Union health minister failed to make any headway.

After the meeting, the doctors' representatives said that Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's "response was not satisfactory".

Also watch | Watch: doctors-police face-off at Delhi hospital as protests over NEET continue

Pointing to the Covid situation and the looming challenge of Omicron, which has created huge pressure on hospitals and medical professionals, junior doctors have threatened a complete shutdown of medical services if fresh hands are not brought in. Delay in college allotments is unacceptable now, they say.

The doctors' protests have impacted patient care at Centre-run facilities such as Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge hospitals and some of the Delhi government-run hospitals.

The doctors have been protesting for the last 13 days over delay in NEET PG Counselling, which has delayed college allotments of postgraduate medical students in Delhi.

Earlier on Tuesday, the doctors intensified their protest following a police crackdown on Monday. The protest by resident doctors took a dramatic turn on Monday, as medics and police personnel had faced off in the streets, with both sides claiming several persons suffered an injury.

On Tuesday, police stopped doctors from marching to the Supreme Court and blocked all gates of Delhi's Safdarjung hospital where they had gathered for the protest.