Resident doctors call off strike after minister assures their demands will be met in 2-3 days

Dr Sachin Pattiwar, president of King Edward Memorial Hospital's MARD unit, said Mahajan listened to their demands and gave verbal assurances that those will be fulfilled. “As of now, we have called off the strike as the minister has promised to meet our demands in the next two to three days," he said.

Resident doctors of BMC colleges stage a protest at KEM Hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

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The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) called off its strike on Tuesday evening after state Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan assured them that all their demands will be fulfilled in the next two to three days.

Dr Sachin Pattiwar, president of King Edward Memorial Hospital’s MARD unit, said Mahajan listened to their demands and gave verbal assurances that those will be fulfilled. “As of now, we have called off the strike as the minister has promised to meet our demands in the next two to three days,” he said.

MARD president Dr Avinash Dahiphale said the association’s main demands include — increasing the number of bonded SR (Senior Resident) posts and equal pay to all SRs, implementation of dearness allowance in stipend and pending arrears since 2018, payment of pending Covid-19 arrears for Nair hospital residents, better hostel facilities, reduction of bond period of Maharashtra super-speciality resident doctors from two years to one year, and filling of vacancies of associate and assistant professors.

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Speaking with media personnel on Tuesday, Mahajan said accommodation was the biggest issue for doctors. “Repairs are needed… regarding this, instructions have been given to the departments concerned and authorities to carry out immediate repairs,” he said.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of elective surgeries were postponed in the city as the strike entered its second day. On Tuesday, only 27 surgeries were performed at JJ hospital, where usually 80 surgeries are performed daily.

“It’s not all about expertise, but you need manpower while performing surgeries, which is missing due to the strike,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity.

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