Hindu Rao docs unpaid, threaten to go on strike

New Delhi: With the third wave pushing more people to hospitals every day and the city already reeling under a healthcare staff shortage, resident doctors of the North MCD-run Hindu Rao Hospital have now threatened to strike by withdrawing services from January 15 over nearly three months of unpaid salaries.

The North MCD, infamous for being unable to pay its workers, who protest for their pay multiple times a year, is yet to comment on the threat to strike.

In a letter to the civic body officials, the RDA of Hindu Rao hospital wrote, "Many of us have already exhausted our savings and are no longer in a situation to meet our end needs. We have issued warning/notices from respective landlords to vacate our accommodation multiple times, we have EMIs to pay along with multiple other needs. If two pending salaries will not be disbursed before (15/01/2022), unfortunately and unwillingly we have to withdraw the residents from non-emergency services from 15/01/2022. As our residents called off strike on the basis of the promises given by administration and those are not met."

Hindu Rao RDA President Dr Tanuraj Tyagi suggested that even though right now only non-essentials services will be stopped, they might even go ahead and withdraw from Covid-19 services if the matter escalates further.

Vinod Kumar Parcha, Central President, North MCD Hospitals' Union told the Millennium Post, "They just paid the salaries of C&D class employees, doctors are still left. But they said they will be able to pay in the next couple of days. In case they don't, we have a lot of ways to protest. We will come and give attendance but not perform our duties if we have to. My next meeting with the corporation is on Tuesday, we'll update our plans according to that." Other hospital employees under North MCD have resonated with Hindu Rao's RDA's statement.