Pending Salaries: Doctors Of North Delhi's Hindu Rao Hospital Go On Indefinite Hunger Strike

The resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital, run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC), started their indefinite hunger strike from Friday evening after the authorities failed to ensure timely release of pending salaries.

Five doctors are observing the hunger strike in front the hospital.​

"Five doctors are observing a hunger strike at the main gate of the hospital. The agitation will continue until our demands are met and salaries are not cleared," said Dr Abhimanyu Sardana, president of the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA), North Delhi Municipal Corporation Medical College and Hindu Rao Hospital.

Earlier, the association had written to authorities and the medical superintendent of Hindu Rao Hospital, saying that they would go on an indefinite hunger strike from 4 pm on Friday if their demands are not met.
"...due to non-payment of salaries for three months, we have decided that if our demands are not resolved on an urgent basis then our five residents would be going on indefinite hunger strike commencing from 4 pm today i.e. October 23," said in the letter.

The doctors have been protesting for several weeks and demanding the release of their salary for the last three months. Neel Chakra Sahu, one of the five doctors sitting on the hunger strike, said: "Verbal assurances won’t feed us, we need concrete actions. We have no other option but to do this."

Doctors of the North Municipal Corporation-run Kasturba Hospital and Rajen Babu Tuberculosis Hospital have also been protesting over non-payment of their salary. Sporting black armbands and shouting slogans, several resident doctors of the three hospitals held a joint protest at Jantar Mantar on Thursday.

The protesters sought the intervention of higher authorities for the resolution of the crisis. "We are tired of raising this issue, but still no resolution is in sight. We should be in hospitals now. We have no option but to press for our demands. We want our due salaries," Sardana said.

Assurance from Mayor

North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash said she had given assurance to the members of RDA that the issue will be resolved by Saturday. "The RDA came to meet me today. Their dues till July are clear. Hopefully, the strike will end tomorrow," he said.

Source