Maharashtra: MARD meets Medical Education Minister to discuss resident doctor issues

Mumbai :In a recent meeting held with the Maharashtra Medical Education Minister, representatives of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) brought to light the long pending demand of resident doctors in the state, which have not been met despite repeated re-assurances by the state government. The representatives also thanked Shri Girish Mahajan, the Medical Education Minister, Maharashtra State for his key role in increasing 1200 PG seats in the state on the behalf of all Resident doctors, Medical students and PG aspirants of the state.

The students discussed various key issues haunting medical students in the state including pathetic hostel conditions, security of resident doctors and students working in the government hospitals, problems in provision of various leaves including TB and maternity leaves, fee hike as well as issues related to the PG bond.

The minister is reported to have assured to look into the demands of doctors. Speaking to Medical Dialogues team, Dr Yashowardhan Kabra, President MARD said, " We had a positive meeting with the minister. We informed him that while there is already a GR in place granting 2 months TB leave to doctors, the policy is yet to come into place. The minister has assured us that GR for TB leave will be for sanctioned in this winter assembly session."

Some of the issues faced by students and resident doctors as highlighted by MARD include:-

1. Hostel Conditions - Current Situations at hostels provided for resident doctors are very poor, Residents are deprived for basic needs like safe drinking water, well illuminated and ventilated rooms. Two colleges do not have any hostels facility as such we demand at least renovation of existing hostels in time bound manner and hostels facility for two colleges namely GMC, latur and GMC, Nanded .It will require budgetary provision, so to put this in supplementary budget at this session of assembly


2. TB Leaves:- Severity of TB and Importance of its treatment in intensive phase is well known fact. Government has issued a circular regarding TB leave. Colleges are not allowing this leave stating the fact of GR not being issued yet. Doctors asked the minister to take up the issue in the winter session.


3. Maternity Leave :- Being mother is a natural gift, Because of long education In Medical field female residents are bound to various factors like marriage and pregnancy . After getting pregnant during pg tenure earlier isn’t accepted at many colleges.Doctors have demanded a GR regarding the same


4. Security Issue :- Resident doctors have been promised and given circular regarding armed police guards at every college. This has not been implemented. Doctors have demanded strict compliance to this is view of repeated incidents with residents in last year


5. Free ship Issue - MARD has time and again demanded clear cut guidelines should be set about freeship of post graduate students. It was assured on 3rd july 2015 that this issue will get concrete solution within 2 months. But till the date nothing happened from government side. It has been stated that the GR that does not include post graduate students for freeship is from 2016 therefore previous batches should exempted


6. 10 % free hike every year - As per decision in meeting on 3rd july 2016 for not increasing fees every year no steps has been taken till the time current fees is Rs 71900


7. Pg Bond Issue- The organisation apprised the minister that while completing bond service is mandatory, many students are being posted as plain MOs. MARD demanded to allow students to work in their specialty itself. To solve this the association suggested to make all SR posts functional also. For para clinical subjects tutors ( which are mandatory as per MCI) should be counted as bond service. The association asked the minister for a government resolution in this regard.


8. University is charging fees for every single issue related to students. Still any printing mistake by university or staff causes lot of distress to students mentally and economically. Students demanded that no fees should be charged for such errors and documents should be allotted at the earliest.


9. Even after getting circular regarding creating new posts of fellows in medical colleges of the state, no active efforts are taken by any college of DMER. This is going to allow up gradation of many institutes and working specialist hands. The doctors asked for the minister's intervention in this matter


10. Stipend has been denied to passed out batch in 4 medical colleges of state. BJMC Pune, GMC solapur, GMC nanded and GMC miraj, towards which the students again asked for the minister's intervention.