Delhi: North MCD nurses and paramedic staff unions threaten to go on strike

While the resident doctors’ association at Hindu Rao hospital has not yet announced a strike, the association has also written to Union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya to intervene and get their pending salaries, with dearness allowance, released

The paramedical staff of municipal health facilities run by the north corporation have threatened to go on a partial strike, to start with, from November 15 over issues of a large number of unfilled vacancies, salary delays and non-payment of arrears.

Hindu Rao doctors pointed out that the situation of pending salaries has been brought to the notice of the authorities multiple times but no concrete action has been taken. (Picture for representation only/Vipin Kumar-HT)

Satish Kumar Gaur, general secretary of the paramedical technical staff welfare association, said the employees have not been paid for over two months while the work load has increased as 50% to 60% of the sanctioned posts are lying vacant. “We have also not been paid the arrears as per the 7th pay commission. The problems being faced by the staff are continuing to pile up. We have decided to go on a partial strike from November 15, during which protests will be staged during the first half of the working day at all hospitals, dispensaries and polyclinics,” Gaur said, adding that the strike will later be extended for the full day if their grievances are not redressed.

The association, which has around 400 paramedical staff as members, has submitted a memorandum to the north corporation municipal commissioner in this regard on November 11, Gaur said.

Jogi Ram Jain , standing committee chairman of the north corporation, said he will look into the matter on Monday.

Meanwhile, the nurses association has also started a strike and protest over issues of unfilled vacancies and non-payment of salaries.

Indu Jamwal, who heads Hindu Rao Hospital nurses’ association, said they have started the protests from this week. “At least the sanctioned posts should be filled. There are 144 sanctioned posts of senior nursing officers of which only 17 are currently occupied. There are 304 posts for nursing officers and only 253 are currently occupied,” she said.

Jamwal also said the shortage has increased their work load, especially at a time when the number of dengue patients has increased.“There is only one nurse attending to 60 or 70 patients in a ward, while there should be at least four nurses. The corporation should fill these posts with contractual staff and the necessary requisition should be sent to Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board at the earliest,” she said.

While the resident doctors’ association at Hindu Rao hospital has not yet announced a strike, the association has also written to Union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya to intervene and get their pending salaries, with dearness allowance, released.

The letter by association president Dr Tanuraj Tyagi said the situation of pending salaries has been brought to the notice of the authorities multiple times but no concrete action has been taken. “Despite being promised multiple times in the past, salary delay issues are persistent which is affecting the financial and day-to-day needs of the residents,” he wrote.

Anu Kapoor, medical superintendent of Hindu Rao hospital, did not respond to texts and phones seeking comment.

The issue of non-payment of salaries is a recurrent one in facilities run by the north corporation. Towards the end of Covid operations at the Hindu Rao hospital in October 2020, doctors had gone over non-payment of salaries due to which 20 Covid patients had to be shifted to other hospitals.