The three-hour pen down strike by senior resident doctors of the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital hit the OPD services of the North Municipal Corporation Hospital on Thursday.
The strike, which started on Wednesday, included all MCD hospitals in North and East Delhi protesting non-payment of salaries of the senior resident doctors for the months of February and March. Earlier in the month, nurses of the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital were also on strike for the same reason.
“Senior doctors of the hospitals were on strike from 9 am to 12 noon, during which only OPD services were hit. Junior doctors were available in emergency,” said Dr Anil Sahni, CMO of the hospital. He added that if they get funds from the MCD, they will release the salary for the month of February.
Many patients had to wait for hours to get consulted by a doctor. Shankar lal, 60, who was accompanying his daughter Nirmala, 16, for her treatment, said, “The higher authorities need to resolve the issue as early as possible as it is giving a lot of trouble to the patients.”
When The Pioneer asked NDMC Mayor Yogender Chandolia about the issue, he said that, “We are ready to release the salaries as soon as we get
the funds.”
Chandolia added that after the month of April, the payment of the MCD officials would “hopefully be on time”.
“We have to feed our family and this matter is not new. We have to ask for our salaries every month. From the past six months, the scenario is the same,” said senior resident doctor, adding that the strike will be continued till Friday.
“On Friday, we will organise a General Body Meeting so that in future we do not have to face the same problem,” a senior resident doctor said.