NEW DELHI: While the resident doctors at government medical colleges across the country are continuing their strike demanding NEET PG counselling at the earliest, the candidates who qualified the NEET lament that they have lost almost a year due to the delay.
As many as 40,000 candidates across the country are eagerly waiting for the counselling process to get admission into medical PG courses. “I don’t know what wrong I have done in my life. I have studied hard but why is this still happening. Now I am just sitting at home doing nothing despite becoming an MBBS doctor,” says Dr Vedanshi, who cleared MBBS in 2020 and took a gap year to prepare for the NEET PG in January 2021.
Twenty-five-year-old Vedanshi is currently living with her parents in Panipat and is financially dependent on them. “The fact that I am still not financially independent haunts me each day,” she said. While Dr. Vedanshi doesn’t have to worry about rent, there are many who are struggling to pay rent. “I left my job in October last year to prepare for the NEET. Since then I have just been waiting,” says Dr. Saurav Kumar Sharma.
Hundreds of doctors assembled at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Thursday and took out a candlelight march. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also extended its support to the agitating doctors and joined the protest in front of Nirman Bhawan.
While addressing the protestors, Dr. Jayesh Lele and Dr. JA Jayalal from the IMA requested PM Narendra Modi to resolve the crisis ahead of the next wave of Covid-19. “The government must take immediate action. IMA supports doctors all over the country. Just showering flowers and lighting diyas will not solve the problem,” said Dr. Lele.