NEET-PG Counselling Delay: IMA Seeks PM Modi's Intervention In Resolving Issue

NEET-PG exam was held in September. Due to legal impediments, the counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45,000 doctors in the frontline, the IMA said

Expressing concern over the strike of resident doctors against the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, the Indian Medical Association on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in resolving the crisis and augmenting manpower to face a possible third wave of Covid infections.

The doctors' body warned that if the issue is not resolved at the earliest, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) will be "forced to adopt direct democratic participation along with the resident doctors". The NEET-PG exam was held in September. Due to legal impediments, the counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45,000 doctors in the frontline, the IMA said.

"As the NEET-PG exam was not held in January 2021, the aggressive second wave was handled by limited manpower of doctors and resulted in the loss of more than 2,000 noble professional souls in the Covid war. "At that time 1,60,000 doctors were appearing for the exams and waiting for the examination to be held relentlessly for the eight months, without involving in the Covid care," the IMA said in a statement.

Now, in view of the impending third wave, if this PG counselling is not held, then with the limited manpower it will be too difficult to handle the third wave of Covid infections, it said. The IMA appealed to the prime minister to personally intervene in the matter.