Now NDMC run Kasturba Hospital doctors to go on strike over unpaid salaries

The Resident Doctors Association of North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run Kasturba Hospital has decided to go on strike from Wednesday for a week over non-payment of salaries and threatened to resign if salaries are not disbursed.

In a letter to the Medical Superintendent, RDA President Sunil Kumar Prasad wrote, "This is for the information that all the resident doctors are going on a total strike for tomorrow onwards due to non-payment of resident doctors' salaries since July 2020."

The association added, "We would like to inform you that we will be on strike for the next 7 days or till our all the salaries will be credited. After 20.02.2020, all residents will give mass resignation. Kindly take this letter under consideration since tomorrow onwards all the emergency services will be stopped."

This came after another civic body-run Hindu Rao Hospital withdrew from work on Sunday after the administration failed to meet the deadline for releasing their salaries. More than 200 resident doctors and 300 nursing staff are on an indefinite strike since October 5.

Both hospitals fall under the jurisdiction of the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

A political slugfest is currently on between Mayor of North MCD, Jai Prakash, and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government over the delay in payment of salaries.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had recently hit out at the BJP for its failure in paying salaries to hospital staff, urging them to hand over the health units to the Delhi government if it is not able to meet the demands. The Mayor, on the other hand, called them out for playing politics on the sensitive issue while keeping the public in the dark.

Speaking to IANS, Kasturba Hospital's RDA President said that they have been getting irregular salaries from the last four years, but the situation became serious during the Coronavirus pandemic. "The matter has now become a mere political football," said Dr. Sunil Kumar Prasad.

He added, "If MCD does not have money, they must arrange it from the Centre or Delhi government. Besides this, the hospital should be handed-over to the Delhi government if MCD is not able to pay off the salaries."

Dr. Prasad rued that crores which were spent to give respect to the corona warriors should have been utilized to pay off their salaries. "We work and salary is our basic right. I also request the government to bring in the salary protection act," he further said.