AIIMS to make one-day salary deduction optional for donation to PM-CARES fund

NEW DELHI: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi will be re-issuing notice regarding deduction of one-day’s salary of resident doctors which was to be donated to the PM-CARES Fund. The move came after the  Resident Doctor’s Association opposed the “mandatory” deduction. “We had raised a legit issue of not making it compulsory and the administration has agreed. They will soon re-issue the notice and make it optional for doctors,” said a doctor from the RDA. 

AIIMS had earlier appealed to the both senior and junior resident doctors to contribute one day salary to Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM Cares Fund) to aid the govt effort to fight the covid-19 pandeminc. “Any resident having objection to it may intimate in writing/ through email/whatsapp/ sms to their account officer mentioning his/her name and employee code by April 6. If no objection is received the deduction of amount equal to one day salary will be made from the arrears to be accrued on account of the enhancement of DA towards the contribution to PM Fund,” read the letter.

In response to the notice, the RDA had written to the administration to make it optional and that fund collected to be used for provision of PPE and other facilities to equip the healthcare.Meanwhile, the Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS has written to PM Modi over healthcare professionals being reportedly targeted for raising issues related to availability of personal protective equipment, COVID-19 testing kits and quarantine facilities.  Condemning the targeting of medical workers on social media, the AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association said such inputs should be viewed constructively and urged the government to consider creating a healthy space for debate and discussion to aid healthcare workers. 

Safdarjung RDA denies seeking PPE donations
Safdarjung RDA president Manish denied asking for donations of personal protective equipment kits, N-95 masks, triple layer masks and hand sanitisers after a public notice circulating on social media stated that the RDA has sought these donations.  “It (notice) was in the context of NGOs that had shown interest in donating medical equipment,” he said.