Bansri Shah, Pune
The Maharashtra State Resident Doctors Association (MARD) called for an indefinite strike of resident doctors across Maharashtra that began on Wednesday, from 5 pm. Approximately 450 resident doctors affiliated with BJ Government Medical College (BJMC) and Sassoon General Hospital joined the strike because their demands were not being met. The resident doctors are asking for better-improved hostel accommodations, an increase in their stipend and a clearance of their outstanding payments.
“We would like to stress that we have been pursuing these issues for more than a year through several channels, including the Central MARD, without success,” said the official release by MARD.
In a statement, Dr Nikhil Gattani, the president of the BJMC unit of the MARD, highlights how the hostel conditions for the residents are inadequate. There is overcrowding, and there is an urgent need for a better living environment for these residents. The residents are also demanding an increase in their stipend since their counterparts who work in central-government-run medical institutions receive considerably higher compensation. They are calling for the parity in their payscale to be solved and for their payments to be fixed to the 10th of every month to avoid any delays. Additionally, they are also requesting that the stipends and arrears that remain pending should be paid.
Dr Gattani said, “These issues have not been addressed since the last time we withdrew our strike based on the government’s promises.”
The strike is anticipated to affect outpatient services in government hospitals across Maharashtra while emergency services remain operational. The BJMC chapter of MARD has assured that teaching staff and the government doctors, senior doctors along with third-year MBBS students will be asked to fill in the positions, to make up for the lack of manpower in the hospitals. However, according to Dr Vinayak Kale, the dean of BJMC’s statement, “If prolonged, the strike will hamper out-patient department (OPD) services, postpone planned surgeries and hit the indoor patients’ department (IPD) to some extent.”