Junior doctors across states protest against NEET-PG counseling delay

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• Dec 6, 2021 | moderator

Guwahati: Junior doctors across states have been protesting against the delay in conducting counseling of NEET-PG 2021. They have claimed that delay in counseling has increased the workload of the already overburdened resident doctors.

The protesting doctors at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam, stated that the counseling process's delay leads to excess work pressure. They have asked the government to complete the counseling process at the earliest. 

The protesting doctors stated that the second and third-year students are overloaded with a lot of work without a sufficient workforce.

Junior doctors of medical colleges and hospitals at Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Tezpur participated in the nationwide stir as well.

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In terms of other states, Karthik, a junior doctor from Telangana's Gandhi Hospital stated, "Nearly 40,000 students were to be recruited this year across the nation. But, the counseling is yet to begin. We are overloaded with a lot of work because there is a shortage of doctors. Students of both second and third years are under severe stress because they are doing all the work. We are exhausted."

The NEET-PG examination was held in September this year. The counseling was scheduled to be held on October 26, 2021. However, the process is yet to begin.

Sources stated that the delay in counseling is because of the pending case with Supreme Court over the Union government's decision to provide a 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the All-India Quota.

Currently, the hearing in the case has been delayed to January 6, 2022. The Union government has assured the court that the counseling will not be held until SC decides on the matter.