The NEET-PG exam was held in September. Due to legal impediments, the counselling is withheld resulting in a shortage of 45,000 doctors in the frontline, the IMA said.

"As the NEET-PG exam was not held in January 2021, the aggressive second wave was handled by limited manpower of doctors and resulted in the loss of more than 2,000 noble professional souls in the Covid war.

"At that time 1,60,000 doctors were appearing for the exams and waiting for the examination to be held relentlessly for the eight months, without involving in the Covid care," the IMA said in a statement.

Now, in view of the impending third wave, if this PG counselling is not held, then with the limited manpower it will be too difficult to handle the third wave of Covid infections, it said. The IMA appealed to the prime minister to personally intervene in the matter.

"The resident doctors are raising the genuine demands and till now it is not properly resolved. IMA demands the issues of reservation policy which is the prerogative of the government shall not be mixed with the schedule of the counselling and the larger decisions of that reservation shall be taken at an appropriate time on successive counselling."

"On behalf of the 3.5 lakh doctors of this country, we express our moral support to the resident doctors who are fighting for the rights and herewith request the Health Ministry to resolve this matter quickly with the compassionate advice and intervention of the prime minister to restore normalcy, lest the IMA will be forced to adopt direct democratic participation along with the resident doctors."

With inputs from PTI.