New Delhi: The 300-member Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) at the Hindu Rao Hospital in the capital is on strike again over the non-payment of salaries for the past two months. The doctors are currently on a ‘pen down’ strike, not working from 9 am to 12 noon, and holding a peaceful protest since Monday. However, they plan to “continue the strike indefinitely” from 22 November if their salaries are not paid on time.
This means that the doctors will not provide any non-essential service from that day, according to a letter written by the RDA Thursday to Dr Anu Kapur, medical superintendent of Hindu Rao Hospital. In the letter, the association said no senior resident or junior resident will do any duty related to non-essential services, but casualty services shall continue.
ThePrint tried to meet Dr Kapur for her response, but was not let into her office.
RDA vice-president and spokesperson Dr Anish Chaudhary told ThePrint that the doctors are tired of going on strike, but salaries have still not been paid.
“We have not got salaries for the past three months. One month’s salary was credited the day before yesterday, but we are still not getting the dearness allowance from July. We are only trying to bring the attention of authorities and senior administration on to this (issue) by protesting peacefully, but we have not been given any assurance, either verbally or in writing,” Chaudhary said.
“Last year too, we held a strike, and we were given a written assurance, but they have not fulfilled their promise. Imagine, even during Diwali, we did not get anything. We had to borrow money to celebrate the festival. We are tired, so we are doing a pen down strike, as we have no option left. Next course of action will be decided later,” Chaudhary added.
North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Jai Prakash, meanwhile, told ThePrint over a phone call that the doctors were justified in asking for their dues, and efforts were being made to pay their salaries soon, but they should get back to work for the sake of the poor people who come to the hospital.
‘Strikes synonymous with Hindu Rao’
Another doctor told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that Hindu Rao Hospital and strikes have become synonyms.
“When new junior residents joined this year, they were asked to assure in writing that if their salaries are not paid, they will not participate in any strike or they will have to face action,” said the doctor. “Nobody likes to go on strikes, raise slogans and not do any work. We just want to do our work, learn during our residency, and serve people. We are forced to do these strikes because it is difficult to survive in Delhi without regular salaries.”
The hospital and the RDA were in the news in October 2020 when staff and doctors were not being paid salaries, and had threatened to withdraw from Covid duty and go on leave en masse.
The Municipal Corporation Doctor’s Association (MCDA) had written to the commissioner of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Wednesday, and pointed out that last year’s strike was called off following a written agreement between the Commissioner, the RDA and MCDA that timely payment of salaries will be ensured in the future.
“North MCD has failed to honour the agreement, hence we are free to call for a strike of doctors. We may be informed whether our salaries, agreements & DA enhancement will be paid after observing the routine ritual of complete strike by doctors, thereby putting the general public to extreme inconvenience or will be disbursed without resorting to such extreme measures,” the MCDA has said in its letter.
Also read: Doctors of NDMC-run hospitals call off strike after pending salaries released
Mayor says ‘trying to pay salaries soon’
The mayor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Jai Prakash, said the civic body has been constantly suffering from financial distress. “The Delhi government has cut Rs 200 crore from our funds. But we are aware that the salaries of paramedical staff, nurses and doctors are unpaid for nearly three months,” said Prakash.
Demanding salaries is no crime, he said, adding that the medics are just asking for their rights. “But everyone should work together responsibly, looking at the current situation because poor people come in at Hindu Rao Hospital for treatment. Doctors and staff should get back to work. We are trying to get the salaries paid soon,” the mayor said. “We are making efforts to expedite the process of tax collection of North MCD. We are also trying to go to court so that we get our Rs 200 crore from the Delhi government.”
“Indeed, the common public and doctors are suffering, but I am in touch with all unions of doctors and nurses and we will resolve the matter after talking to them,” he added.
(Edited by Saikat Niyogi)
Also read: Doctors of North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospitals continue to strike