Resident doctors of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to “live” their life for a day to understand their stress.

In a letter to Modi while backing the protest by doctors in Rajasthan for higher pay and promotions, the AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association urged the PM to understand the tremendous pressure on doctors at government hospitals due to the poor infrastructure and misbehaviour of patient’s kin during emergency situations.

“We are lucky to have an active PM like you… Now RDA AIIMS requests you to put (on) white apron and spend one day as a government doctor to understand the tremendous amount of pressure we face, the agony of patients who did not get treatment, the dying healthcare system due to lack of resources and infrastructure,” PTI quoted the AIIMS RDA president Harjit Singh Bhatti’s letter to Modi.

Bhatti also said that his body will set an example to ministers who level allegations against doctors for cheap publicity.

His letter read, “Your one day as a government doctor can be a turning point for the healthcare system as it will restore faith in the medical profession.”

It added, “Rajasthan doctors are on strike from December 16, this strike is helplessness rather than intentional because the state government arrested 86 doctors by imposing RESMA,” read the letter. “Their demands were previously accepted by the Rajasthan government but now they refuse to fulfil them, resulting in mistrust and anguish among the hardworking doctors. Please instruct the Rajasthan government to fulfil their promises and stop all atrocities against doctors.”

Several doctors in Rajasthan were arrested as the state government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA) for three months after the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors’ Association warned of indefinite strike in support of their demands.

The doctors were arrested from Tonk, Jaipur, Kota, Swai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Jhalawar and Banswara districts..

The arrests had come after the deadline set by the government for the medical practitioners to resume work expired yesterday evening.

Doctors in Rajasthan are accusing the government of not executing the promises made to them last month. They also accuse it of taking vindictive action against them.

The strike has hit the health services across the state and the patients have been left on god’s mercy. Major operations in various district hospitals had to be postponed due to the strike. Services at the SMS hospital in Jaipur also remained affected.