Salaries of NEET-PG protesters cut in 2 Delhi govt hospitals, claim doctors’ bodies

RDA representatives of GTB hospital said that they have written letters to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain to intervene in the matter.

Nearly a month after resident doctors across various hospitals in the national capital called off protests against the delay in NEET-PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) counselling, following assurances from the government that no disciplinary action or salary deductions will be initiated against them, medics at Delhi government’s Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital and Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) said that the salaries have been cut for many doctors who took part in the protests.

Resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital stage a protest against the delay in the NEET-PG counselling last month. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on January 28 had assured the doctors that no punitive action will be initiated against doctors who took part in the protests, based on which the association decided to call off their protest on January 31. (ANI)

Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) and its associated GTB Hospital said on Saturday that the salaries of doctors who participated in the protests in November and December last year were deducted this month. Some doctors have also been marked absent for the protest period.

“Salary of resident doctors deducted for the period of protest. We stood for augmenting healthcare workforce pan nation. Despite multiple assurances from various authorities regarding no economic and academic harm, GTB Hospital has cut salary,” the RDA said in a statement.

In a statement, the RDA of IHBAS also said, “Attendance and salary of residents deducted for period of protest. We stood for the cause, with the nation. Despite multiple assurances from various authorities regarding no punitive action, salaries of IHBAS residents is deducted, when other institutes haven’t.”

RDA representatives of GTB hospital said that they have written letters to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain to intervene in the matter so that deducted salaries can be reversed and the attendance restored.

“We have taken up the matter with the CM and the hospital administration. The matter is yet to be resolved. For some doctors, the deduction is nearly 50% of their salary,” said Dr Aditya S, president of UCMS and GTB hospital RDA.

Dr Aditya said that nearly 35 senior residents and over 50 junior residents have been impacted by this pay cut.

The administrations of IHBAS and GTB hospital, and the Delhi government did not respond to HT’s requests for comments.

In a meeting with the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (India), which spearheaded the doctors’ protests, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on January 28 had assured the doctors that no punitive action will be initiated against doctors who took part in the protests to expedite NEET-PG counselling, based on which the association decided to call off their protest on January 31.

“We strongly condemn the salary deduction of resident doctors by GTB Hospital and IHBAS for participating in the protests to expedite NEET-PG counselling. We request Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain to intervene in the matter urgently,” the FORDA said in a statement responding to the salary cuts.