Amid rising cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, resident doctors of the city-based Government Medical College and Hospital Nagpur held a protest on Sunday against the government and the district administration over the shortage of medical resources to treat coronavirus patients. 

Speaking to ANI, Sajal Bansal, a resident doctor participating in the protest said, "This protest is being held to raise the demands and concerns of the patients. We are protesting against the government and the district administration over their lack of preparations concerning the rising cases of COVID-19 amid the second wave of the disease in the country, which includes a shortage of beds, ventilators, oxygen, Remdesivir in private hospitals which are leading to a rise in the casualties in the district. Our helplessness to help the patients has forced us to hold this protest."

"Since the past one month, the situation is getting worse which has forced us to stop the intake of new patients. The shortage of medical resources is also hampering the delivery of healthcare to the general (non-COVID) patients which is not acceptable. We are a government institution and the general public, especially marginalised groups look up to us for treatment and denying them that is unjust. We demand a permanent solution from the district administration for this crisis," said Bansal. "The protest is not inspired by any association, it is solely for the patients who are suffering and their caregivers," he added.

The protest was held in front of the medicine casualty ward of the Government Medical College and Hospital here at 9 pm yesterday. Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported the highest daily new cases at 55,411, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday. The ministry further said that the state saw the maximum casualties at 309 yesterday.

In the highest single-day spike, India reported more than 1.52 lakh new Covid-19 cases on Sunday. According to the ministry, the country recorded 1,52,879 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday. With this, the total number of infections on Sunday reached 1,33,58,805 in India.With 839 new Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the toll in the country mounted to 1,69,275, said the ministry yesterday. There were 11,08,087 active cases in the country on Sunday.