<p>OPD services at two major MCD-run hospitals were severely hit with doctors going on three-hour-long strikes for the past three days demanding their pending salaries. <br /><br />While emergency patients were attended to, most patients at the outdoor patient department (OPD) were turned away, said officials at the two hospitals.<br /> <br />Doctors from Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and Kasturba Hospital met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday over non-payment of salaries since March. Kejriwal has promised the issue will be resolved soon, said doctors. <br /><br />The doctors will continue with their three-hour-long agitation from 9 am to noon every day till the authorities resolve the issue. <br /><br />They have even threatened to launch into a full-fledged strike from the next week if the issue is not taken up on priority basis.<br /><br />Doctors from the four other major MCD-run hospitals will also join in the strike then to show solidarity with the cause. <br /><br />“We tried to run the services as smoothly as possible with the staff crunch,” said an administrative official at Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. <br /><br />Currently, the salaries of regular doctors at the two hospitals under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) have not received payments for the past two months. <br />The salaries for February were cleared only after the doctors at Hindu Rao had launched an agitation in March. <br /><br />Along with the salaries, house and travel allowances are also pending.<br />With the ongoing tussle over funds between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi government over payment of salaries, employees are suffering almost every alternate month. <br /><br />“The doctors are bearing the brunt of political conflict between the government and the corporation. We told the Chief Minister we should not suffer in the process,” said Dr R R Gautam, President, Municipal Corporation Doctors Association.<br /><br />“The Chief Minister has verbally given us assurance that there will be a solution within a week. But we are weary as there is no reassurance from the MCD yet,” said Dr Gautam.<br />The doctors were not given any assurance from the Mayor of NDMC when they met him on Wednesday evening, said a member of the association.</p>.<p>“There are no funds available with us at present. We can release the salaries only when NDMC receives the money,” said Mohan Bhardwaj, Chairperson, Standing Committee, NDMC.<br /></p>
<p>OPD services at two major MCD-run hospitals were severely hit with doctors going on three-hour-long strikes for the past three days demanding their pending salaries. <br /><br />While emergency patients were attended to, most patients at the outdoor patient department (OPD) were turned away, said officials at the two hospitals.<br /> <br />Doctors from Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and Kasturba Hospital met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday over non-payment of salaries since March. Kejriwal has promised the issue will be resolved soon, said doctors. <br /><br />The doctors will continue with their three-hour-long agitation from 9 am to noon every day till the authorities resolve the issue. <br /><br />They have even threatened to launch into a full-fledged strike from the next week if the issue is not taken up on priority basis.<br /><br />Doctors from the four other major MCD-run hospitals will also join in the strike then to show solidarity with the cause. <br /><br />“We tried to run the services as smoothly as possible with the staff crunch,” said an administrative official at Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. <br /><br />Currently, the salaries of regular doctors at the two hospitals under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) have not received payments for the past two months. <br />The salaries for February were cleared only after the doctors at Hindu Rao had launched an agitation in March. <br /><br />Along with the salaries, house and travel allowances are also pending.<br />With the ongoing tussle over funds between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi government over payment of salaries, employees are suffering almost every alternate month. <br /><br />“The doctors are bearing the brunt of political conflict between the government and the corporation. We told the Chief Minister we should not suffer in the process,” said Dr R R Gautam, President, Municipal Corporation Doctors Association.<br /><br />“The Chief Minister has verbally given us assurance that there will be a solution within a week. But we are weary as there is no reassurance from the MCD yet,” said Dr Gautam.<br />The doctors were not given any assurance from the Mayor of NDMC when they met him on Wednesday evening, said a member of the association.</p>.<p>“There are no funds available with us at present. We can release the salaries only when NDMC receives the money,” said Mohan Bhardwaj, Chairperson, Standing Committee, NDMC.<br /></p>
