PANAJI: The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) in solidarity with resident doctors in other parts of the country, have threatened to withdraw routine services from OPDs indefinitely from December 1 if the Union government and judiciary don’t take steps to expedite the process of NEET PG Counseling 2021 on urgent basis.
President of the association Dr Pratik Sawant told TOI that GARD is standing congruent with the decision taken by the federation of resident doctors association of India. GARD, in a letter to the medical superintendent of GMC, has stated that emergency services in the interest of patients will continue.
Sawant said Goa has around 300 new resident doctors who are yet to join as first year residents as their NEET PG counselling has been delayed. The NEET exams held regularly in January were postponed to May and counselling has been delayed.
“Since these residents haven’t joined yet, only 2/3rd of the work force has been working and taking the toll of all routine services in addition to Covid duties. This has been happening in Goa and the rest of the country for the past six months,” Sawant said.
“The Union government has sought more time in the Supreme Court but the counselling cannot be delayed further. If we have another wave of the pandemic, we will be left with only 2/3rd of the doctors who are the same ones who have been overburdened over the past few months,” he added.
The counselling has been put on hold till January 2022 after the Centre last week asked the apex court for four weeks’ time to revisit the income criteria for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students.
