Doctors to protest today at Jantar Mantar over pending salary

NEW DELHI: As the crisis over pending salaries of doctors of North MCD-run hospitals deepens, the staffers have now decided to hold a joint protest at Jantar Mantar, today. Healthcare professionals at the protest are expected to be from the Hindu Rao Hospital, Kasturba Hospital and Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital.

The resident doctors of Hindu Rao have been protesting over their pending salaries since last week and have gone on an indefinite strike, seeking the release of salaries due for the past few months. Since October 14, resident doctors of the Kasturba Hospital too have gone on a week-long strike over pending salaries.

“The RDA of Hindu Rao Hospital stands in solidarity with the RDA of Kasturba Hospital and RDA of Rajen Babu TB Hospital in the ongoing agitation on the grounds of non-payment of salaries for almost four months. We cumulatively would like to state that there hasn’t been any resolution to our issues,” the statement by RDA of Hindu Rao Hospital read.

“We all North MCD residents would like to join hands on a common platform to demonstrate our agitation validating our affliction with the administration due to strict non-compliance. Considering the situation, we would have to resort to holding a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on October 16,” it said.

North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash in a tweet late Wednesday night had claimed, “Today, salaries released of all doctors, nurses, paramedics and group C and D staff and for the rest, it will be released soon.” Prakash, in a statement on Wednesday, claimed that doctors and nurses of Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital had withdrawn their strike. The hospital RDA’s president Abhimanyu Sardana, however, had said, “protest will continue.”