Resident doctors abstain from work at Hindu Rao hospital over pending salaries

The resident doctors of Hindu Rao hospital, run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), abstained from duty for three hours Thursday morning over delay in payment of their salaries.

The doctors warned to go on an indefinite strike from Monday if the civic body failed to pay them their salaries pending for the last three months.

A senior NDMC official said that arrangements were being made to release the salaries of the doctors.

Around 450 resident doctors and interns of the hospital did not attend duties from 9.30 am to 12 noon, demanding payment of their salaries.

"We will go on an indefinite strike from Monday, if the NDMC administration does not release our salaries," said Rahul Chaudhary, the president of Resident Welfare Association at the hospital.

He said that salaries of the doctors were pending for the last three months.

The municipal corporation, suffering financial crisis, has been facing hardships in regular payment of salaries to its employees, including sanitation workers and those serving in other departments.

"We will pay the salaries as soon the funds are ready," said the NDMC officer.

Chaudhary said the strike by the doctors was held to protest over delay in payment of salaries by the administration and it had nothing against the patients.

"We are making special efforts like working extra hours to ensure the patients do not have to suffer. But, we can not work like this for long and an indefinite strike will be there if the administration fails to redress the salary issue," Chaudhary said.

Hindu Rao is the largest hospital operated by the NDMC. A medical college was also opened by the civic body in 2013.