Residency period: Junior docs go on strike, minister warns of action

BJMC JDA has been raising the issue since last year, and had in February this year made written representations to the chief minister’s office as well as to the health minister.

Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions.

Members of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College (BJMC), affiliated with Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Wednesday went on strike from routine OPD and operation theatre duties over long-pending demands of equating the bond period with the senior residency duration owing to their service in Covid-19 wards for nearly 17 months.

A JDA office-bearer told this paper, “Of the 36 months of course-work as a post-graduate course candidate, we served nearly 16-17 months in Covid wards, which also affected our academics as we were not dealing with regular OPDs. The state government considered equating the senior residency period with the mandatory bond period for those admitted in 2017 and 2018 but has not considered the same for those admitted in 2019, despite the Covid work that was done by the 2019 batch as well.”

Meanwhile, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel told media persons on the sidelines of an event in Patan: “If the strike continues, the state has its recourse and will take disciplinary action if required. It is my request that they rejoin duty.”

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BJMC JDA has been raising the issue since last year, and had in February this year made written representations to the chief minister’s office as well as to the health minister. In March, the health minister wrote to the additional chief secretary of the health department advising them to “take appropriate actions” with respect to the request put forth by JDA. BJMC post-graduate course director and medical superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, on May 28 and June 6 respectively, wrote to the additional chief secretary endorsing and recommending for counting bond service equal to the residency period.

Residency is a year-long specialised training after three years of the post-graduate programme and becomes mandatory if one wants to apply for teaching positions. In Gujarat, for those admitted through state quota seats, students are also mandated to serve a year-long medical bond period as rural tenure, which is separate from the residency period.

BJMC JDA plans to boycott Covid and emergency services on June 16 as well “if there is no positive response from the government”. A similar strike was held last year, following which, the state government agreed to consider one year of residency equivalent to one year of bond service.

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