Move Covid-19 patients to Delhi government hospitals ahead of Hindu Rao strike: Satyendar Jain

Doctors and staff of Hindu Rao Hospital have called for a strike Sunday onwards; they say they have not been paid salaries since June

The Delhi government on Saturday ordered shifting of all Covid-19 patients at the North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run Hindu Rao Hospital to Delhi government facilities, days after doctors and nurses went on a symbolic strike to protest against non-payment of salaries for the past three months.

Resident doctors and nurses of Hindu Rao Hospital protest against Delhi Government and MCD for non-payment of salary over the last few months in New Delhi on October 10. (ANI)

The medical staff at the hospital, which is the biggest municipal health facility in the city, have threatened to go on a complete strike from Sunday.

“Doctors and staff of Hindu Rao Hospital have called for a strike Sunday onwards. There are Covid-19 patients being treated at the hospital. We have directed that all the patients be shifted to Delhi government hospitals. They can go to any of the hospitals treating Covid-19 patients, whichever is closer,” Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said.

The hospital was designated as a Covid-19 treatment facility in mid-June after the first surge in the cases of the viral disease in Delhi. The hospital has 343 beds for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

“The doctors and staff should be paid and if the corporation cannot do so, they should hand over the hospitals to the Delhi government,” said Jain, referring to multiple strikes the staff has had to go on due to the non-payment of salaries.

Describing Jain’s comments as “irresponsible”, Jai Prakash, mayor of the north corporation, said the decision to shift patients was not taken by the Delhi government. “The decision to move the Covid-19 patients was taken by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The corporation had raised the matter in one of the previous meetings. Hindu Rao hospital was getting few Covid-19 patients -- 15 or 25 at any given time. There are over 900 beds in the hospital. We thought it would be better utilised if we treated non-Covid-19 patients,” he said.

The DDMA is headed by the Lieutenant Governor.

There were 23 Covid-19 patients at Hindu Rao hospital on Saturday. Of them, 11 were moved to Lok Nayak hospital and two were shifted to Aruna Asaf Ali hospital. Three patients are still admitted at the hospital as they are critical and in ICU; the rest have been discharged.

The striking doctors, meanwhile, rejected claims by the civic body that salaries have not been paid due to paucity of funds.

“Why should doctors and nurses, who are at the forefront of the Covid-19 fight, have to go on strike to get their basic right of salary? And, it cannot be a matter of the MCD not having any funds. The corporation generates hundred of crores in taxes every month; do you know how much they need to pay the doctors and nurses in all hospitals and dispensaries run by the north corporation? Just Rs 13 crore,” said Dr Abhinav Sardana, the president of the Hindu Rao resident doctors’ association.

Currently, there are over 16,000 beds reserved for the treatment of Covid-19 patients across the city in both government and private hospitals.

Jain said that the government was taking measures but to prevent a surge in cases people should take precautions such as wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and hand hygiene.

The mayor said, “The statements by the health minister were highly irresponsible. The Delhi government owes us Rs 1,600 crore. Instead of paying us the money so that we can run the corporations efficiently, they have been making allegations that we cannot run the corporation and that we should hand over the hospitals to them. Would they be able to run their services if the Centre did not pay the dues,” he said.

“As for the doctors, I have requested them to withdraw the strike. We are disbursing salaries on priority. Last week, we paid the pensioners. Next, we will pay the doctors and sanitation workers. We are trying to arrange funds for their salaries and they should receive it in another 10 to 15 days,” said Jai Prakash.

But the doctors said they were yet to receive any assurance by the civic body.

“We had been contacted by the mayor on Friday but have received no written assurance on when the salaries will be disbursed. As planned, we will go on a strike from tomorrow morning,” said Dr Sagardeep Bawa, vice president of the resident doctors’ association of Hindu Rao hospital.