JOIN USDocs strike at hospitals run by MCD
Work suffered in some MCD-run hospitals after doctors went on mass casual leave demanding release of salaries on Friday.
Doctors met Lieutanant Governor Najeeb Jung after they marched from the North Corporation-run Bara Hindu Rao Hospital till the LG office.
Patients were catered only in emergency services and OPD services were stalled.
The outcome of the meeting, however, seems to have little significance with the LG not giving any assurance to the doctors.
The LG told them that the Delhi government can sort out the situation as there are no funds available with the North and East Corporations.
“He said he would take up the issue with the municipal body,” said Dr R R Gautam, president, Municipal Corporation Doctors Association (MCDA).
The MCDA has demanded that an inquiry be ordered into the expenditure of the various projects under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation to scrutinise the non-availability of funds. “We have demanded accountability in the MCD funds,” said Dr Gautam.
The salaries for March were released late on Thursday. The salaries of April still remain pending. Doctors have now sought a permanent solution to delay in payments.
Doctors from North and East Corporation-run six major hospitals, nursing staff, paramedics and staff from TB centres, maternity clinics, polyclinics and dispensaries went on mass casual leave to protest against the perennial problem of salaries being delayed.
“Doctors will continue with the pen down agitation till we get some reassurance,” said Dr Maruti Sinha, Secretary, MCDA.
Services affected
Doctors going on mass casual leave comes a day after the NDMC issued a notice to doctors threatening to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act against doctors and class-IV employees if they go ahead with the plan.
The notice mentioned that salaries will be deducted and if the need be, criminal cases will be filed against them under the ESMA. OPD services were paralysed at Kasturba Hospital and Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. With the three-hour long agitation every day, patients are being turned away daily.
“The emergency services were not disrupted. From the reports that we have received so far, the other hospitals besides these two were not much affected. Notices have been issued across hospitals to not encourage any sloganeering in the premises,” said Dr D K Seth, Director, Bara HIndu Rao Hospital.