North body doctors defer mass resignations, to get two months’ salaries by June 24

The resident doctors of North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Kasturba Gandhi Hospital and Hindu Rao Hospital have deferred their decision to tender mass resignations

The resident doctors of North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Kasturba Gandhi Hospital and Hindu Rao Hospital have deferred their decision to tender mass resignations over the late payment of salaries till June 24.

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The decision came after the north corporation, on the court’s intervention, agreed to pay two months’ salaries on June 19 and June 24. The doctors of both hospitals had said they had not been getting salaries for the last three and four months, respectively.

“We have decided to wait till June 24 as north corporation leaders have assured us of disbursing two months’ salaries on June 19 and June 24. If they fail to give us our salaries within the new time frame, we will tender mass resignations as planned before. We are fighting the coronavirus disease pandemic, yet not being paid regularly,” Sunil Kumar, president, Resident Doctors’ Association, Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, said.

Doctors of Kasturba Gandhi Hospital had said on June 10 that they were not paid their salaries since March 2020, making them unable to pay their house rent, bear travel expenses and buy essential commodities. They had threatened to resign from June 16 if their salaries were not paid.

Kasturba Gandhi Hospital is a 450-bedded maternity and child speciality hospital near Jama Masjid.

Similarly, on June 11, resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital had threatened mass resignations from June 18 over unpaid salaries for the last four months . They have also decided to defer their decision till June 25.

Abhimanyu Sardana, president, Resident Doctors’ Association, Hindu Rao Hospital, said, “After the high court’s direction, the North DMC has said they will pay our two months’ salaries on June 19 and June 24.” He said apart from releasing salaries, the corporation should ensure that delays do not take place in future.

Hindu Rao Hospital doctors have not been paid salaries since February 2020. There are around 250 resident doctors at the hospital, north corporation’s largest with 980 beds. It has now been converted into a Covid facility.

According to civic officials, the north corporation employs around 1,000 senior doctors, 500 resident doctors, and 1,500 nursing officers across its four hospitals.

Avtar Singh, mayor, north corporation, said, “Court directions will be followed. We are making arrangements to release salaries. We have demanded ₹1,500 crore from the Delhi government, which we are yet to get.”