Resident doctors in BMC hospitals to launch protest today over non-implementation of revised DA

Announcing the protest, Dr Amar Agame, general secretary of BMC-MARD, said doctors will begin by wearing black ribbons from Wednesday.

Resident doctors in civic hospitals will launch a phased protest from Wednesday as negotiations with the civic administration over non-implementation of revised dearness allowance (DA) and payment of arrears have failed.

Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean of the civic-run Nair Hospital and director of medical education and major hospitals in the BMC, said the delay was due to the absence of an authorised officer to sign the relevant documents. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (BMC MARD) said the agitation follows repeated meetings that yielded no outcome, even as revisions in DA were cleared three times but remained unimplemented. The doctors allege that despite a cumulative 31% increase in DA over several revisions, the revised rates do not reflect in their salaries.

Dearness allowance is a cost-of-living adjustment meant to offset inflation and is revised periodically.

According to the association, first-year resident doctors currently receive DA of ₹43,857, and with the recent revision, it should be ₹47,000. While second- and third-year residents are paid ₹44,522 and ₹45,186, respectively, with the revisions, there should be a 31% increase. The cumulative revision in DA would amount to approximately ₹3,000 per resident doctor.

At present, monthly salaries are ₹81,000 for first-year residents, ₹82,000 for second-year residents, and ₹83,000 for third-year residents.

Announcing the protest, Dr. Amar Agame, General Secretary of BMC-MARD, said that doctors will begin by wearing black ribbons from Wednesday. From Friday, those posted in outpatient departments (OPDs) will proceed on mass leave and will escalate the matter if their demands are not met at the earliest.

Deputy municipal commissioner (public health), DMC Sharad Ughade, had earlier urged the doctors to defer their protest until April 17. However, with no resolution in sight, the doctors have decided to proceed, said Agame.

Dr. Shailesh Mohite, dean of the civic-run Nair Hospital and director of medical education and major hospitals in the BMC, said the delay was due to the absence of an authorised officer to sign the relevant documents. “The official concerned is on leave, which has held up the process. We have asked the doctors to wait until the official returns, but they have chosen to go ahead with the protest,” he said, insisting that the hold-up is procedural.

With essential services likely to be affected if the protest intensifies, the standoff will strain the civic healthcare system unless a swift resolution is reached.