HC warns hospital staff against going on strike

Expressing anger over hospital employees' tendency to strike work frequently, the Delhi HC on Wednesday said they should not put patients to inconvenience thinking that "there is nobody to take action against them."

Expressing anger over hospital employees' tendency to strike work frequently, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday said they should not put patients to inconvenience thinking that "there is nobody to take action against them."

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The court's observation - that comes ahead of AIIMS doctors' threat to disrupt OPD services tomorrow - was a reminder of its earlier decision to ban strikes in hospitals.

Slamming hospital employees for defying its orders against strikes, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice M K Sharma said "They are merrily going on strike as if there is nobody to take action against them...Although there are court orders."

The court's outburst against agitations in hospitals came while hearing a batch of petitions seeking direction to the government for improvement of infrastructure in government hospitals.

The Bench also pulled up the Centre and State government for not complying with its earlier directions for improvement of infrastructure in city's government hospitals.

The court also asked the Director General of Central Health Services and Principal Health Secretary, NCT Delhi to visit the hospitals and file a status report in three weeks.