No mandatory deduction for donation to PM-CARES: AIIMS admin to RDA

The AIIMS administration has accepted the proposal by its Resident Doctors' Association to make donation to the PM-CARES fund voluntary, saying there will be no mandatory salary deduction for the contribution and those interested can "Opt-In".

The AIIMS RDA had written to the hospital administration earlier, demanding that donations to PM-Citizen Assistance Relief in Emergency Situations (CARES) fund be made a voluntary exercise/opt-in and the money collected be used locally for procuring protective gear for them after the administration appealed to all resident doctors to contribute their one-day salary to the PM-CARES fund to aid the government's effort to fight COVID-19.

"In continuation of the appeal dated April 7 and the Resident Doctors Association request letter dated April 8 wherein the RDA has declined to donate one day salary to the Prime Minister's citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund with an opt-out option.

"The Resident Doctors Association is hereby informed that no deduction will be made from salaries of resident doctors. Those residents who wish to donate to the PM-CARES fund should inform the Academic Section, in writing, by April 20," the letter signed by the Registrar said on Wednesday.

The letter further added that there is no shortage of funds at the institute for procurement of PPEs and therefore no donation shall be accepted from resident doctors for local use at AIIMS New Delhi