Services may be hit as several docs at govt, MCD hospitals go on strike

With resident doctors, who manage most wards and clinics, going on strike from Saturday (November 27), as part of a nationwide call given to protest the delay in carrying out NEET-PG counselling, 2021, services in most municipal hospitals are likely to be severely affected from Monday, hospital sources said

Senior doctors from the north corporation-run hospitals, dispensaries, maternity centres, and TB facilities will go on an indefinite strike from Monday to protest against not receiving salaries, along with arrears and allowances, for nearly three months, said the Municipal Corporation Doctors’ Association on Friday.

The doctors wrote to the authorities over a week ago, demanding that their pending salaries be paid or they will go on a strike. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

The doctors wrote to the authorities over a week ago, demanding that their pending salaries be paid or they will go on a strike.

“It is now nearly three months since we received our salaries. We have given ample notice to authorities but all we keep hearing is that they have no funds. We are just asking for what we are owed. All routine services will be stopped from Monday onwards; however, we will keep the emergency running,” said Dr RR Gautam, president, Municipal Corporation Doctors’ Association.

“Patients who can be discharged will be sent home, and those who can be moved will be referred elsewhere. Only the most critical patients will remain in the hospital,” he said.

With resident doctors, who manage most wards and clinics, going on strike from Saturday (November 27), as part of a nationwide call given to protest the delay in carrying out NEET-PG counselling, 2021, services in most municipal hospitals are likely to be severely affected from Monday, hospital sources said.

In addition to monthly salaries, doctors are also asking for the increased dearness allowance that was given to all employees of central government hospitals and also those of facilities run by east and south Delhi corporations.

“Doctors in our sister organisations are already receiving the increased DA, and that too a significant increase. Also, the north corporation has still not implemented the seventh pay commission and are yet to give us arrears of various components,” said Dr Maruti Sinha, general secretary of the organisation.

The north corporation did not comment on the announced strike.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has called for a nationwide strike from November 27 over the delay in NEET-PG counselling, 2021. Resident doctors in government hospitals across the country will withdraw from outpatient department (OPD) services from Saturday.

FORDA, in a letter to Union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, said, “The already overburdened and exhausted Resident Doctors of the nation fighting at the frontline since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, have been waiting patiently till date for some positive outcome of Supreme Court proceedings in the matter of already delayed NEET-PG 2021 counselling. However, there seems to be no respite to their physical and mental distress, with the next court hearing scheduled on 6th January 2022.”

The ministry did not comment on the letter.

Although doctors will continue with emergency services and routine work of surgeries, they will stop working in OPD. The full impact of the strike will be visible Monday when OPDs run at full strength; Saturday OPD is run for half day and on Sunday, the clinics are shut at all hospitals other than Centre-run hospitals.

In addition, all doctors from corporation-run hospitals and clinics will also go on a strike from Monday over delay in NEET counselling.

“For now, we will not work in the OPDs, but if nothing happens, we will stop all routine services. The NEET examinations were delayed since May, due to the pandemic, and was conducted in September. But someone filed a petition about the economic reservation policy and the next date of hearing is on January 6; we don’t know when there will be a decision,” said Dr Manish Kumar, president, FORDA.

Supreme Court on Thursday deferred the hearing of the ongoing case in NEET counselling till January. The same day the Centre requested a time of four weeks since it has decided to revisit the criteria of ₹8 lakh annual income limit for economically weaker sections(EWS) category.