New Delhi:
Resident doctors of a few North Corporation-run hospitals, who are currently agitating over their pending salaries, held a joint protest at Jantar Mantar here on Friday to press for their demands. Wearing masks, doctors from Hindu Rao Hospital, Kasturba Hospital and Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital, held placards and raised slogans.
Representatives of their RDAs said no resolution seems to be in sight on the issue, so the protest is taking place at Jantar Mantar. “Many doctors have already gathered, and more will be joining from other NDMC hospitals too. At 6 PM, we will hold a candle light march from Jantar Mantar to India Gate. We want our due salaries,” said Abhimanyu Sardana, president of RDA of Hindu Rao Hospital.
The members of the Resident Doctors’ Association of the Hindu Rao Hospital have been protesting for the past several days and had gone on an indefinite strike, seeking release of salaries due for the past three months. Since Wednesday, resident doctors of the Kasturba Hospital are on a week-long strike over their pending salaries too.
“The RDA of Hindu Rao Hospital stands in solidarity with the RDA of Kasturba Hospital and RDA of Rajen Babu TB Hospital in the ongoing agitation on the grounds of non-payment of salaries for almost four months. We cumulatively would like to state that there hasn’t been any resolution to our issues regarding the aforementioned,” the RDA of Hindu Rao Hospital had said in a statement on Thursday. “Therefore, we all North MCD residents would like to join hands on a common platform to demonstrate our agitation validating our affliction with the administration due to strict non-compliance” it had said.
North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash in a tweet late Wednesday night had claimed, “Today, salaries released of all doctors, nurses, paramedics and group C and D staff and for the rest, it will be released soon.” Prakash, when contacted, said salary has been released for the “month of July”.
The crisis over pending salaries of doctors of North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospitals had deepened on Wednesday as an association of permanent medics of civic-run hospitals also threatened that its members will go on an indefinite strike from October 19 if their demands were not met, including release of pending salaries. The BJP, which controls the NDMC and the ruling AAP have sought to blame each other for the situation.
