The Aman Sandesh Times

Thursday, Date: Mar 28, 2024 Time: 7:52 pm

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Chandigarh: Even though the resident doctors at the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak called off their strike and resumed duties on Friday, the protest demonstration by the MBBS students continued on the PGIMS campus.
The resident doctors were on strike for the past eight days in solidarity with the ongoing agitation by MBBS students against the bond policy.
The decision to call off the strike was taken following a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Nov. 30, in which Khattar announced changes in the bond policy. MBBS students, who have been agitating against the bond policy for nearly a month, continued their stir.
In a meeting with the representatives of MBBS students and the resident doctors a day before, Khattar had said that the State Government reduced the bond policy amount from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 30 lakh and cut down the duration of compulsory government service from seven to five years.
Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of the PGIMS-Rohtak, in a statement issued on Thursday night, stated that its members, after a unanimous decision in a general body meeting on December 1 (Thursday) have decided to withdraw the strike with immediate effect and continue with regular hospital activities in the best interest of patient healthcare.
The decision was taken after meeting Khattar, wherein students were assured of progressive amendments to the policy, the statement said. “The RDA further requests the Government to make proper developments in the policy in the best interest of the undergraduate students,” it said.
However, MBBS student leader Anuj Dhania on Friday said that their agitation will continue till their demands are met.
The protesting students have been demanding reducing the duration of compulsory government service to one year, besides that the bond default amount should not exceed Rs 10 lakh.
The bond policy earlier stated that students taking admission to government medical colleges would have to execute a tripartite bond (between student, bank, and government) of Rs 40 lakh, including fees.
If a student opts not to serve in a state government health institution after the completion of the MBBS course, he or she will have to pay the amount. The moratorium shall be extended in case a student wishes to pursue post-graduation. The aim of the policy is to ensure students serve for seven years in government facilities.

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