Doctors, health workers at Delhi's Hindu Rao Hospital continue strike over non-payment of salaries

Doctors and health workers at Hindu Rao Hospital continued their strike over non-payment of salaries on Tuesday. Jai Prakash, North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Mayor also met them during the protest.

"Today evening I will sanction the release of at least one or two months' salaries for each of them. They should withdraw the strike now and treat patients. I am agreeing to their demands then they should also end the strike" said Prakash.

"These healthcare workers are on a strike for the past few days. I met the doctors last night as well. They should end this strike as I will be sanctioning the release. Everyone should work responsibly amid COVID-19 crisis," he added.

Dr Harish Gupta, former president of RDA and current member of Delhi Medical Council and National Medical Commission told that their request to authorities as well as to the doctors is that there should be an immediate solution and salaries of the doctors should be paid.

"Doctors should not feel the need to come on the roads every time and there should be a mechsm. There should be a coordination committee comprising of all RDA's senior doctor as well as the administration so that a permanent solution can be found to this problem," he added.

Resident Doctor Association of Kasturba Hospital also continued their strike over non-payment of salaries.

Taking exception to the ongoing protest and a hunger strike by resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital due to alleged non-payment of salaries for three months, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday demanded that the authorities should pay the salaries of the doctors along with the dues immediately.

"Indian Medical Association takes serious exception to the unfortunate situation in Hindhu (Hindu) Rao Hospital which is under the management of Delhi Municipal Corporation. It sends a wrong message to the profession and the nation. It demoralizes the entire doctor community," IMA said in a press release.

IMA stated that the Supreme Court of India had specifically directed that salaries of doctors and health care workers should be paid in time, and non-payment of salaries by Hindu Rao Hospital is an adequate reason for the Court to initiate suo moto contempt proceedings against the administration of the hospital. "IMA demands that the authorities should pay the salaries of the doctors along with the dues immediately," It added.

Resident Doctors' Associations of NDMC Medical College and Hindu Rao Hospital went on an indefinite hunger strike on Friday against non-payment of salaries during the COVID-19 lockdown. The resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital had been protesting since few weeks against the non-payment of salaries.

On October 13, the NDMC-run Hindu Rao Hospital was removed from the list of the designated COVID-19 hospital.

( With inputs from ANI )