New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS): Intensifying their ongoing protest over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, the resident doctors of Delhi's hospitals on Tuesday held a 'Tali, Thali and Phool Wapsi' protest outside the Health Ministry in Nirman Bhawan.

In a symbolic representation, the agitating doctors returned the flowers showered on them for being at the forefront in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic during its peak to the ministry.

Resident doctors' associations (RDAs) across the nation are protesting since November 27 against the multiple postponement of NEET-PG counselling for 2021 and the subsequent admission of the fresh batch of resident doctors in the medical colleges.

The RDAs withdrew all services, including routine and emergency services, from December 17 over their demand of urgent hearing of NEET-PG counselling, which is pending before the apex court.

Earlier, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) had requested the presidents of all the political parties via a letter to highlight their issues in the Parliament, including the necessity of expediting NEET-PG counselling.

"Around 45,000 qualified doctors who have cleared NEET-PG 2021 are eagerly waiting to join the workforce. The current batch of resident doctors are already overworked and exhausted after dealing with the previous waves of the pandemic. With the threat of a possible third wave looming large, the situation will be distarous for the healthcare sector with bearing on the nation's population," FORDA had said in its letter to the political parties.

Patient care has largely been affected in the city's hospitals, as the doctors' protest entered the fifth day on Tuesday. Earlier, the RDAs had boycotted emergency and routine services in hospitals from December 6.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) for 2021 was delayed twice, first from January to April, and then to September.

Now the admission process has been delayed due to a dispute over the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota.