Medical stalemate

As I write this, the protesting resident doctors have called off their strike. The health ministry has agreed to submit the Committee Report to the Supreme Court before January 6, which is the date of the next hearing. However, it's imperative to note the circumstances that pushed the doctors to engage in the month-long protest. The doctors were protesting delays in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for postgraduate courses (NEET-PG) counselling; a petition has been filed in the country's apex court urging for an early hearing and speedier action. At the crux of the delay lies the government's inability to satisfactorily explain the reasoning behind the eligibility for reservation under economically weaker sections (EWS), which is currently given to candidates with annual income of less than Rs 8 lakh. There are several petitions pending in the Supreme Court that have challenged this amendment, which has led to 50 per cent reservation of medical seats.

This delay from the government's side led to protests by resident doctors, both seniors and juniors, causing a scuttling of health services in major hospitals in Delhi. Postgraduate medical students double up as resident doctors and bear much of the brunt of the daily functioning of the hospitals. While they protested the delay in admission to postgraduate medical courses, routine as well as emergency services in medical college-associated hospitals were badly hit. With the joining of the fresh batch of students delayed, resident doctors have had to cope with additional work pressures. To make matters worse, the protesting doctors alleged being bashed up by the police earlier this week; there are some videos doing the rounds as proof. Many doctors were detained and a first information report (FIR) was filed against them for protesting.

Just a year ago, we had showered these doctors with flower petals, and ludicrously banged 'thalis' to show our appreciation. Many of these doctors have now returned the flowers and 'thalis' in a symbolic gesture to record their grievance. The lack of clarity on the reservation criteria that has triggered this crisis unfortunately shows that while we may have paid obeisance to healthcare workers during peak pandemic, we aren't really aware or concerned about their actual well-being. I mean, how many of us were even completely mindful of these protesting doctors and their cause?

The much-delayed NEET examination and the now overdue counselling threaten the future of young doctors who are losing a year of their lives. These are the same hardworking, dutiful essential workers who spent hours trapped in PPE suits tending night and day to thousands of Covid patients. Many from their brethren paid with their lives, even as some of their neighbours at home kept an arm's distance fearing infection. Their masks dug into their facial skins, stuffy PPE kits suffocated them, their mental health went for a toss as they worked relentlessly fighting to save some, failing quite a few. But they showed up, every day and helped keep us safe and healthy. We can't even imagine the toll that the unremitting work hours and constant face-off with death would have taken on their own mental and physical health.

The doctors' protests may have been called off but it's essential that the matter is resolved quickly so that the young doctors can get on with their lives. The nation is staring at another possible intense Covid-19 wave propelled by the Omicron variant. These very doctors are the saviours who will work silently handling yet another health crisis; struggles brought on unexpectedly by a rogue virus playing havoc with lives. The doctors' lives have been mired in inescapable challenges in the last two years. Our government must ensure that they don't have to deal with avoidable ones.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal