Hindu Rao doctors write to PM Modi, urge him to resolve salary crisis

The resident doctors association of the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital wrote to PM Modi, seeking a resolution of the crisis over the pending salaries of medics of the North Corporation facilities.

The resident doctors association (RDA) of the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a resolution of the crisis over the pending salaries of medics of the North Corporation facilities.

Abhimanyu Sardana, president of the RDA of the largest municipal hospital in Delhi also said doctors and paramedical staff from various North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC)-run hospitals will gather at Jantar Mantar on Thursday.

"Through this letter we would like to convey and express the gravity of our peril that we are being exposed to despite the hardships of the nature of our work every day in the COVID premises," reads the letter sent by the RDA to the prime minister.

An emolument is an imperative way to enliven ones' attitude but due to the neglection by the administration for three months, it more seems like penal servitude than moral discipline," the letter said.

Doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital, Kasturba Hospital and Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital, all British-era facilities, have been agitating for the last several days, demanding release of their pending salaries for the last couple of months.

Recently, they had also written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and had also protested at Jantar Mantar.

"We have been constantly in words with the administration and the Corporation but there seems to be a deadlock," the RDA said in the letter.

It is appealed to the prime minister to redress the concerns of the NDMC healthcare workers regarding their overdue wages, arrears, and also regularisation of pay for routine and timely disbursement of salaries, and to establish a channel for payment of salaries directly by the Union or the state government, the RDA said.

It also urged to consider acquiring the functionality of health institutions under NDMC by the Union or the Delhi government as sustainability of healthcare services in this pandemic time seems inefficient.

"We are failing miserably to even run our basic errands and accomplish at thriving with our daily routine and for the same we have been agitating since September 22 but no one seems to pay heed," it said.

"We are constrained and helpless and would be enforced escalate our agitation if further no resolution," the letter said.

Meanwhile, North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash on Wednesday inspected Kasturba Hospital and Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital and also met the aggrieved hospital employees and assured them that the corporation was working on resolving their issues.