Doctors to get degrees within a month: Ramadoss

Aug 29: After failing to contact the health minister the doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) who have completed their MBBS and MD degree along with those from OPDs have gone for strike from Tuesday evening protesting the delay in receiving their degrees. As a result patients suffer a lot from Tuesday evening and with the threat from doctors to go for an indefinite strike the situation will get worse further.

Meanwhile Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss stand firm on his decision and said that he will not sign, as the degrees are illegal. He also said “doctor’s vested interest provoking them to strike”. The convocation ceremony should be held within a month, he added.

It is also likely that AIIMS director Dr P Venugopal will meet Mr. Ramadoss this evening. However, the minister has refused to sign the degrees as against the doctors demand to fulfill it by this evening.

Over 700 students have been protesting outside the resident of the health minister and demanding to release their degrees. There are doctors who are yet to receive their post graduate degrees though have completed it two years back.

One of the resident doctor told that as the degrees have not released they can’t even apply anywhere outside AIIMS for further studies. In fact some of them applied in some foreign universities who don’t accept provisional certificate and if they don’t get their degrees at the right time then may deprive of a better career.

In fact as the premier medical institution of the country that nearly treats 6000 patients on daily basis only in OPDs, it is natural that patients to suffer a lot. Doctors are also threatening to go for an indefinite strike giving a deadline till 5 pm today to the health minister.

However, the minister has assured the agitated doctors to receive their degrees within a month. The minister also pointed out that it is the fault of AIIMS administration that led to this situation.