Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) on December 6 said that it will hold a symbolic protest on December 7 "to remind the government of deficiencies in the medical education department".

KARD, in a media bulletin, listed seven main reasons for the symbolic protest and said that resident doctors and medical students have been working on COVID-related work for the last nine months despite facing difficulties, and added that now the government needs to wake up soon and consider all the seven issues seriously.

Resident Doctors Association said that the state's largest tertiary care centre, Victoria Hospital which provides services to the entire city of Bangalore and its neighbouring districts and states has been shut down for the past nine months, and despite of sharp decline in cases there have been no signs of starting non-COVID services of hospital soon even after multiple requests to authorities.

"What will happen to the thousands of non-COVID patients who are dependent on Victoria Hospital. What will happen to the thousands of medical students who have been admitted to this premier institute?" KARD asked the government. It demanded that all the medical colleges across Karnataka be converted to non-COVID hospitals. "This will benefit the general population as well as the medical students. Even National Medical Commission has provided instructions to have non-COVID services in medical college affiliated hospitals," the association stated.

KARD also urged the government to exempt the academic fees for the year 2020-21 and said that since the last nine months the postgraduates, house surgeons, and undergraduates have been involved in COVID-related activities, and there have been no proper clinical academic activities happening statewide.

The resident doctors also demanded COVID risk allowance for all residents, interns and undergraduates who did COVID duty to recognise the services provided during the pandemic. "Senior residents who have been working in various institutes as a part of their compulsory bond have not been paid their rightful salary in many institutes since their joining. Postgraduates in Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Orthopaedics and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health have not been paid their revised stipend since the past six months," the medical body stated further.

It further stated that house surgeons have been working tirelessly for COVID care, and with NEET PG as well as MBBS exams being postponed, there is an uncertainty hovering around the current batch of house surgeon regarding extension of their internship. The body said that as per the MBBS curriculum internship has to be of 365 days only, and no extension, even by a single day shouldn't be even thought of by the government.

The body also complained about the lack of clinical materials in hospitals. "State-wide Medical Colleges have started since December 1. However, there is a lack of clinical materials. Medical College hospitals have to be converted to non-COVID hospitals and reserve other general hospitals for COVID services," KARD added.