Unpaid docs: IMA calls out 'new low in governance'; Delhi govt hospitals to shut OPD for 2 hours today
new delhi: As healthcare workers, including senior doctors from north-MCD run hospitals, continue their strike over unpaid salaries, resident doctors from Delhi government hospitals have now decided to go on a "symbolic pen down protest" and decided to shut their OPD services for two hours on Tuesday.
Resident doctors at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, in a letter to the Medical Superintendent, said that if the matter is not resolved within 24 hours, they will shut the OPD services for two hours. "We strongly condemn inadvertent handling by the authorities of NDMC, Delhi government and Central government towards healthcare workers who have been the backbone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We stand in full solidarity with our medical fraternity and will be on black ribbon protest in the Covid area and pen down symbolic protest in non-Covid areas on Tuesday from 10 am to 12 pm."
Resident doctors from Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital will also go for a pen-down protest in solidarity. The decision has come in the wake of this pen-down protest declared by FORDA for Tuesday. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday, meanwhile demanded that the North Delhi Municipal Corporation immediately pay the doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital their pending wages. They termed the non-payment of salaries for the last three months an "unfortunate situation" and a "new low in governance".
In a statement on the issue titled ''Banana Republic'', the IMA said healthcare workers, especially doctors, are a national asset and their "humiliation by denying" legitimate salaries is nothing but "state-sponsored violence".
A statement issued by the RDA of Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, while extending their solidarity to the resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital, Kasturba Gandhi Hospital and Rajan Babu TB Hospital said, "We urge all the concerned authorities to resolve the issue within a period of 24 hours, failing which we will be forced to agitate and hold two hours of a symbolic pen down protest in non-covid areas on Tuesday."
Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital echoed the same sentiments adding that they will go on a pen-down strike if the matter is not resolved within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the Safdarjung Hospital RDA has extended their solidarity and in a letter to the Medical Superintendent and said, "We strongly condemn the insensitive nature of competent authorities of the aforementioned hospitals and hope to extend our support to our fellow resident doctors. In this Covid-19 pandemic, the least that can be done for frontline warriors is to pay their most deserving dues."
RDA president Safdarjung Hospital Dr Manish said that they will do a black ribbon protest in solidarity. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, which is a COVID-dedicated hospital will also go on a black ribbon protest on Tuesday.
Resident doctors at Lok Nayak Hospital in solidarity wore black ribbons on Monday.
The IMA said such governance "demoralises" the entire doctor community. "If their services are so dispensable during a pandemic, something is certainly rotten in the way we are governed," alleged the doctors' body which represents around 3.5 lakh medicos across the country.
The Supreme Court had specifically directed that salaries of doctors and healthcare workers should be paid in time. It seems the writ of the highest court of the land does not bind these officials who administer these hospitals, the IMA said in the statement.
"The IMA and the medical profession trust that there is adequate reason for the court to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against the administration of Hindu Rao Hospital. Only such a strong response could restore faith in our institutions. The IMA demands that the authorities should pay the salaries of the doctors along with the dues immediately," it said.
