NEW DELHI: The nurses at the city’s largest maternity hospital — Kasturba Hospital near Jama Masjid — have temporarily deferred their protest for a week after north Delhi mayor Jai Prakash on Tuesday assured that their salary would be released in a couple of days.
The hospital staff staged a two-hour demonstration on Monday over non-payment of their salaries.
Prakash on Tuesday reached the facility to meet the agitating medical staff. Following the detailed discussion with them, the mayor said that all the employees are being paid in a phased manner, the salaries of nurses of Kasturba Hospital would also be released soon.
“The country is going through a global epidemic, in such a situation we all have to stand together only then we can fight it,” said Prakash. Nearly 225 staff including doctors at the 600-bed Kasturba hospital have not been paid salaries since April, said BL Sharma, president of the hospital’s nurses’ union.
“About 140 doctors, 140 nurses and nearly 40 paramedics have not been paid for three months. Only resident doctors have got salaries till April. Today, the mayor talked to us and has given verbal assurance to release our pending dues within two-three days. So we decided to postpone our protest till July 15,” Sharma said.
Earlier, the paramedical staff and doctors of North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s another medical facility — Hindu Rao Hospital — called a strike against delay in payment of salary. Several other North MCD employees including school teachers, contractors and also retired staff have not been paid for months.
Taking cognizance of the matter, recently the Delhi High Court has pulled up the authorities and directed the municipal agency to pay up due salaries.