'No salaries and contract renewals since strike in Oct'

New Delhi: Resident Doctors of North MCD's Hindu Rao Hospital have not received salaries or renewed contracts since October, despite a written assurance by the administration to the contrary. Notably, doctors and nurses from the hospital had been on strike almost all of October

this year because they had not received their past dues despite being on COVID-19 duty round the clock.

In a letter addressed to North MCD's Additional Commissioner of Health, Hindu Rao's Resident Doctors' Association had said that in a meeting with the Commissioner, held on October 28 this year, it was made clear that the doctors will be marked as being 'on duty' during the strike period, that the timely disbursement of salaries to all doctors would be ensured, and that those associated with the strike will not be victimised in any manner.

However, there is currently a more than 2-month delay in the payment of salaries. Moreover, no extension order or tenure renewal has been sanctioned by the administration. Instead, residents are being victimised or punished for participating in the strike in October, the doctors said. "In fact, those who have been on duty since then, are now being blamed of coming to work of their own volition because in absence of an updated contract, the administration never asked them to come and provide their services to the hospital", said Dr Abhimanyu Sardana, President of the hospital's RDA.

"Most residents here have a 44-month contract while a few have 6-month contracts. Many of these contracts have lapsed Since our month-long strike in October, not only have we not received our salaries, we're now being told that in absence of up-to-date contracts, we are not employees of the hospital and as such, not eligible for either payment for our healthcare services or redressal of grievances. We are facing exactly the kind of partial treatment that we were assured, in writing, we wouldn't have to", Dr Sardana said.

All of the aforementioned specifics were recorded in a 'Minutes of the Meeting' document of the meeting held on October 28 between the Hindu Rao RDA and North MCD administration.

When asked for a response, Medical Superintendent Dr Anu Kapoor said: "As far as salaries are concerned, no one in North MCD has received salaries post-September. Regarding the extension of contract, that file is still pending in the

headquarters and only they will be able to answer queries related to it".

Incidentally, RDA members and other senior doctors of Hindu Rao hospital have said that in all their attempts to talk with the Medical Superintendent or other senior administration, the approach has been to "pass the buck" and keep them "entangled in bureaucratic paperwork".

North MCD Mayor Jai Prakash said that salaries had not been paid since September due to unavailability

of funds and any doctor wishing to speak about extension/renewal of their contract should contact him directly. He also added that he had been unaware of this issue until asked about it.