Doctors at municipal hospitals are not ready to call off the indefinite strike till they get a permanent and concrete solution from the Government. On Wednesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a loan of Rs551 core for the North and East MCDs to pay salaries for all municipal workers. But according to MCD doctors, it is an insignificant step as only the salaries till January 31will be paid by the said amount. Doctors want permanent and concrete solution which can be done only by the intervention of Central and the State Government.
Meanwhile, Dr RR Gautam of Hindu Rao, who is also the president of Municipal Corporation Doctors’ Association, said the situation has not improved in the past one year. “Every time, we have to ask for the timely payment. If our condition is miserable, how can we treat patientsIJ” asked Dr Gautam.
later in the day, the municipal corporation Doctor’s Association wrote to Kerjirwal and pleaded that either the Delhi Government or the Centre intervene “urgently” to bail out the corporations from the financial crisis so that salaries of all employees can be paid immediately.
Association President RR Gautam and Secretary Maruti Sinha stated that they have been “forced” into this situation solely due to the indifference of the administration at all levels: the corporation, the Delhi Government and the Centre.
“In view of the precarious financial situation of the municipal corporations, health services (except public health) may be taken away from the corporation and may be considered for being taken over by the Delhi or Central Government as a permanent solution to our problems,” the letter said.
Alleging corruption in the municipal corporation, Dr Aditya, Resident Doctors’ Association president at Hindu Rao Hospital, said the salary amount has been siphoned off. “We want health sector to be taken up either by the State or the Central Government. Either way, we want Health sector to be out of municipal corporation. It is corrupt and all our salary money has been siphoned off by the corporation,” he alleged.
As many as 50,000 striking municipal employees working in the health sector of corporation are protesting for the past one week demanding urgent release of their salaries. Doctors claim that they have not been paid salaries for the past three months.