Pune: Nearly 8,000 resident doctors across Maharashtra sat on an indefinite strike from Thursday evening to address various demands. Among them, around 350 resident doctors from the BJ Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital in Pune joined the strike, while ensuring that emergency services remain unaffected.
Dr. Abhijit Helge, president of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), expressed disappointment over the lack of concrete decisions following a meeting with State Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif on Thursday. “We are deeply disappointed with the government’s indifferent approach to our concerns,” said Dr. Nikhil Gattani, president of MARD’s BJMC unit.
“Resident doctors statewide are advocating for new hostel facilities, repairs to existing ones, regularisation of stipend payments and a Rs 10,000 stipend hike. Despite assurances from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Mushrif in the first week of February, no significant actions have been taken to address their grievances,” said Dr. Amey Raut, general secretary of MARD’s BJMC unit.
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Numerous resident doctors have raised alarms about insufficient hostel capacities, especially with the increased enrollment of students in PG courses. The delayed admission process during Covid-19 has further complicated matters, as final-year PG students are slated to take exams later this year. Meanwhile, renovation work at one of the alternative buildings (Vishnu Sadashiv — Sassoon hospital doctors’ quarters) is ongoing, limiting immediate accommodations there.
Dr. Anisha Singh, vice president of MARD’s BJMC unit, emphasized potential challenges for incoming students in finding adequate hostel space, particularly with NEET-PG exams scheduled for May this year.
Despite the strike, resident doctors have pledged to maintain essential services, vowing to continue attending to patients in intensive care units and casualty sections.
Dr. Vinayak Kale, the Dean of BJ Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, reassured that arrangements have been put in place to ensure that outpatient department (OPD) services remain uninterrupted. He explained that assistant and associate professors, along with recently graduated doctors (senior residents), will be overseeing OPD duties. However, Dr. Kale noted that routine surgeries might need to be postponed due to the ongoing strike.
Regarding concerns about inadequate hostel space, Dr. Kale mentioned that they have allocated 50 rooms in the 11-story building at the Sassoon General Hospital campus to address the shortage.
