698 senior doctors to boycott duties seeking release of pending salaries

HYDERABAD: A total of 698 senior doctors working in 29 hospitals under 18 medical colleges staged a protest against the government demanding the payment of pending salaries. From Wednesday, the doctors are boycotting elective services including outpatient and ward. If the demands are not met immediately, the doctors said they are going to boycott emergency services from July 1.

Senior doctors working in government hospitals including OGH, Niloufer, TIMS, Fever hospital and Gandhi Hospital among others have not received their salaries for the last three months. Doctors working in government medical colleges in districts including Nizamabad, Siddipet, Mahabubabad, Jagtial and Suryapet among others face a similar situation.

Senior doctors in RIMS have not received their payment for the last five months. Doctors working in the Government Medical College in Mahbubnagar have been demanding the sanction of their salaries since they joined in November 2021.

In a letter sent to Health Minister T Harish Rao last week, Telangana Senior Resident Doctors’ Association (TSRDA) had requested him to clear the salaries of senior doctors. The senior residents also warned to boycott the emergency and elective services if their demands are not met immediately. However, they did not receive any response from the Minister.

“We have been working without our stipends in the best interest of the patients. But our threshold has been breached and our financial responsibilities have become overwhelming... Hence, we are planning a protest in a phased manner,” said a notice issued by the TSRDA.