NEET-PG Counselling: After doctors-police face-off, medics body calls for pan-India shutdown on Dec 29

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.

However, police denied allegations of lathicharge or use of abusive language from their end, and said, 12 protestors were detained and released later.

Calling it a “black day” for the medical fraternity, many women doctors alleged that they were manhandled during their march in the day that culminated in an intense face-off with the police and a vigil well into the chilly December night.

FIR has been registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code for Covid violations, rioting and damage to public property among others, police said. Later in the night, a large number of resident doctors gathered outside the Sarojini Nagar police station. But, no one has been detained as of now, police said.

However, doctors claimed that a large number of protestors were detained by police when they tried to march from Safdarjung Hospital to the official residence of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“They are protesting and we are facilitating their protest…they are on a sit-in here. Let them first settle down and then we will initiate talks with them. It’s likely that any immediate meeting could be arranged with officials concerned at night but we are trying are best to sort it out,” a senior police officer from southwest district of the Delhi Police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Gaurav Sharma said that “Doctors were protesting and they were reconciled through negotiations. They were peacefully handled and sent back to their hostels.”

In a video released by FORDA, a group of protestors can be seen singing the national anthem outside a police station, while one doctor can be seen telling a group that they should prepare to camp there all night to protest. Later, a resident doctor said, after all detained doctors been released, “injured will go to hospitals, and rest all will be heading back, to regroup again tomorrow”.

Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared video clip of the face-off between the doctors and police personnel, and extended support to protesting resident doctors.

As the protest continued on Monday, patient care remained affected at three Centre-run facilities — Safdarjung, RML and Lady Hardinge hospitals — and some of the Delhi government-run hospitals. Last Tuesday, a group of doctors had thrown flowers on security barricades, and clanged utensils and clapped in front of the Nirman Bhawan here, saying they were symbolically “returning” the adulation showered on them for being Covid warriors.

(With PTI inputs)