NEW DELHI: The doctors’ protest at North Delhi Municipal Corporationrun Hindu Rao Hospital against pending salaries took a political turn with the AAP-led Delhi government wading into the controversy on Saturday.
Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Covid patients admitted in the hospital will be shifted to the Delhi government hospitals by Sunday. “The doctors and the medical staff of the Hindu Rao Hospital in Delhi, which is run by the MCD, have given a notice of strike.
There are Covid patients there. We have directed the authorities to shift them to Delhi government hospitals. I want to request the MCD to disburse salaries as soon as possible, and if the North MCD cannot pay the salaries, they can place these hospitals under us.
We will run these hospitals better and release the salaries.” Jain blamed the BJP for playing politics with the health of the patients, saying the civic body has no dearth of funds to pay the staff under them.
Mayor of the BJP-ruled North MCD Jai Prakash rejected the charges. “The Delhi government wants to financially cripple the corporation. The government has not given Rs 425.06 crore as Basic Tax Assignment, Rs 57.18 crore under the health head, Rs 271.80 crore for sanitation and Rs 201.80 crore under the education head for the year 2020-21.”
While patients from the Hindu Rao have been shifted out, the resident doctors and other staff who protested the entire week say the government’s decision is not a solution for their demands.
“Now they would come up with ‘no work, no pay’ or issue us terminations since there isn’t any work left to do at the hospital,” said RDA chief Abhimanyu Sardana.