Resident doctors protest against exclusion from Rs 1.21 L state govt incentive for Covid-19 duty

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But now, with the completion of their academic year in June 2021, they aren’t qualified as ‘active’ resident doctors and have been excluded from the benefits of receiving the special incentive of Rs 1.21lakh declared by the state government in October 2021 to each of the resident doctors involved in Covid-19 care.

“We have worked round-the-clock in taking care of patients in 2020 when the first wave started and also, in 2021 till June when the state was fighting the second wave. Then how aren’t we eligible for the compensation?”asked Dr Deepak Munde, president of the association.

Recently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sought approval of Rs 26.07 crore to provide the incentive amount to the resident doctors in the first, second and final year postgraduate course, claimed the doctors. But this has come as a surprise for the senior resident doctors as the medical students hadn’t even taken admission in the first year of PG due to delay in NEET-PG counselling.

“The BMC has sought fund approval for first year students who haven’t even worked for Covid-19 patients but we, who have treated patients, have been excluded. This is such an injustice!,” said Dr Munde.

These doctors, after completion of their PG, are serving their bond in government and civic-run hospitals in the state as senior resident doctors. Raising their concern, Maharashtra Association of Bonded Senior Resident Doctors on Wednesday wrote to Aaditya Thackeray, who has been coordinating with the resident doctors since last year.

“It is really unfortunate that doctors who have served the state in need have been excluded, and funds have been approved for doctors who haven’t even taken admission,” reads the letter sent on Wednesday.

Generally, final year resident doctors are given relief in May when the new academic year starts. But amid the pandemic, due to shortages of staff and delay in the admission of the first-year postgraduate students last year, the 1,600 resident doctors were given an extension till June, 2021.

“Unlike other batches, we served two months more by taking care of the Covid-19 patients. Although the pandemic badly affected our specialisation degree, we also paid their fees of Rs 1.57lakh. Our efforts should be acknowledged,” said a doctor who passed out from BYL Nair hospital and who had contracted Covid-19 in April 2021.