All the wards, emergency service of municipal-based hospitals turned empty on Sunday as patients didn’t turn up after reports surfaced of as many as 50,000 municipal employees, including senior doctors, resident doctors, para medical staff, technicians working in the health sector for civic agencies continued their strikes for the early release of their due salaries.
A MCD Doctors’ Association though maintained they were continuing with their strike. “All the medical staffers including senior and resident doctors, nurses, para medical staff and other hospital employees are on strike. We are working only in cases of emergencies, while stable patients are referred to other hospitals in view of the strike,” president of Municipal Corporation Doctors Association Dr RR Gautam said.
According to the Bara Hindu Rao hospital official - which caters to more than 10,000 patients in its OPDs per day had shut down its medical services - it is for the first time that all wards of hospital are empty.
“All the doctors’ municipal-based dispensaries, maternity home, polyclinic and its four major hospitals which include Bara Hindu
Rao, Swami Dayanand, Kasturba and Rajan Babu Tuberculosis hospital have halted its medical services till the corporation releases our salaries,” said Dr Gautam.
Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Sunday held an emergency meeting with senior officials from East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations, in the wake of strike called by the doctors of civic hospitals to take stock of the situation and discuss solutions.
The civic doctors said they have been on indefinite strike in solidarity with sanitation workers since Saturday.