Hindu Rao docs call off strike

Doctors said their salary for the third month, from April 15 to May 15, is still pending, but the municipal corporation has promised to credit this within 48 hours.

Resident doctors at the Hindu Rao Hospital Tuesday ended their ongoing strike after receiving salaries for two months from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which runs the hospital.

The Hindu Rao Hospital, situated on the northern ridge on Malka Ganj Road, is one of the largest facilities in this part of the city and caters to over 2,000 patients daily.(HTPhoto)

Doctors said their salary for the third month, from April 15 to May 15, is still pending, but the municipal corporation has promised to credit this within 48 hours.

At least 450 junior doctors and senior residents had gone on full-day strike from Monday citing a number of issues, including their salaries being repeatedly delayed, not being provided protection from violence perpetrated by kin of patients, non-availability of drinking water and a 24-hour library .

Dr Rahul Choudhary, president of resident doctors’ welfare association, said, “We have got two months’ salary now — for the period from February 15 to April 15. The corporation has given us a written assurance that our other demands will also be met. We are calling off the strike and all 450 doctors are now back at work.”

The Hindu Rao Hospital, situated on the northern ridge on Malka Ganj Road, is one of the largest facilities in this part of the city and caters to over 2,000 patients daily.

Patients at the hospital had faced inconvenience over the last few days with resident doctors first going on a ‘pen-down strike’ for three hours daily since Thursday, and day-long strikes since Monday.

The North Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Monday evening said it has received an amount of ₹206.5 crore from the Delhi government under basic tax assignment (BTA), a share of the central revenue, and the amount will help the corporation tide over its current financial crisis.

Prior to that, the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi had said it was not in a position to pay its employees due to the fund crunch.