MCD doctors on pen-down strike, threaten shut down
The months-long delay in salaries, which has been a legacy issue of civic-run hospitals, has forced the resident doctors from select health centres to announce a pen-down strike.
Published: 03rd February 2023 09:36 AM | Last Updated: 03rd February 2023 09:36 AM | A+A A-
Image used for representational purpose only. (File Photo)
NEW DELHI: One of the reasons behind reunification of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from three civic bodies into a one was to alleviate its erstwhile North and East corporations from the funds crunch. However, the promise has failed to hit the ground.
The months-long delay in salaries, which has been a legacy issue of civic-run hospitals, has forced the resident doctors from select health centres to announce a pen-down strike. While the doctors at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital already observed the strike on Thursday, the medicos at Bara Hindu Rao Hospital declared it to begin next week from Monday onwards.
Resident doctors at Kasturba Gandhi said they have abstained themselves from the OPD services and only serve in emergency wards. The doctors have threatened for a complete shutdown if pending salaries are not disbursed by Saturday. “We have not been paid for the last three months. All the resident doctors here are yet to receive the salaries of November, December and January.
Like other people we also have families to run. How can we survive in this situation? We have only abstained from OPD works. If need be, we may intensify our protest further,” said Dr Ramakant Yadav, president, Resident Doctors Association (RDA). The doctors there have communicated about their agitation to the hospital authorities through a letter where they stated that they have been made to “compromise because of the financial issues of the MCD” but now they are compelled to show dissent.
Dr Siddharth Tara, president, Hindu Rao’s RDA, said the doctors at his hospital have not received salaries from October last year. “Over 300 resident doctors have been working without salary for the last four months. Apart from us, senior doctors, consultants and nurses also have not received their salaries. It has become a routine for us.
We have called a strike from Monday if the salaries are not disbursed till then,” he added. The long-standing systemic problem of delayed disbursal of salaries and pensions to employees has been asking the staff of all civic-run hospitals for a long time, especially those falling under erstwhile East and North MCD.
