Team Herald
PANJIM: Following the withdrawal of services by Goa Association of Resident Doctors at the ESI COVID Hospital and South District Hospital, the State government has agreed to allow the doctors to keep their accommodation.
South Goa Collector Ajit Roy in a letter to the Dean, Goa Medical College Dr Shivanand Bandekar said that the doctors are allowed to stay at the accommodation.
“This is in connection with the meeting conducted by the undersigned on 31/10/2020, along with administrator of ESI, COVID-19 Hospital, Margao, and medical superintendent of the New District Hospital, Margao. In that connection, it is informed that the resident doctors are allowed to continue with the hotel accommodation,” the Collector said in the letter.
Earlier in the day, GARD had decided to withdraw its services from ESI COVID Hospital and South district hospital.
GARD in a statement had said that they had been informed by the administrators of COVID hospitals that all resident doctors working in ESI/SGDH would have to vacate their accommodation Monday afternoon.
“It is with great regret we have to inform everyone about the indifference shown towards the plight of the resident doctors once hailed as the ‘Covid Warriors’ by the administration. As stated earlier we were asked to pay for the accommodation provided for working in south Goa Covid hospitals namely ESI and SGDH and we were assured that the issue will be resolved at the earliest,” the release had said.
GARD had said that the authorities seemed to have reached an impasse with those providing accommodation and doctors had been asked by the hotel staff to pay up from Monday afternoon or vacate the rooms as per the verbal orders received from the Collector’s office.
“As a consequence we have to inform with great remorse that the resident doctors will be withdrawing our services from the said Covid hospitals from 2 pm today and will be returning to our parent departments in Goa Medical College by 4pm,” the release had said.
GARD had further said it was indignant at the apathy and lack of concern shown by the authorities towards their hard-working and dedicated resident doctors even with irregularities in salaries paid to them over the last five months.
”We are hoping that the authorities will find a permanent solution to this problem faced by us and we will go back to serving the people of Goa with the same eagerness and enthusiasm,” it had stated.
