New Delhi, Oct 24 Perturbed with the allegedly callous approach of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North MCD) in resolving the issue of pending salaries of the healthcare workers coming under its ambit, the senior doctors of the corporation employed at six hospitals have decided to go for a mass leave on Monday, followed by an indefinite strike if their demands are not met.
"We have taken the following unanimous decisions to protest against non-payment of our salaries for the past 3 months: Total strike for indefinite period of all senior doctors from Tuesday, if salaries of all doctors including resident doctors are not released by Monday and a permanent solution like handing over MCD Health Services to Central Government is not decided," the Municipal Corporation Doctors Association (MCDA) said.
The move is set to disrupt the services including emergency of over six hospitals falling under the aegis of North MCD. Dr Maruti Singh, general secretary of MCDA told that no senior doctor would man the services including emergency. "However, they (North MCD)) are free to call doctors from other hospitals but we would not render our services," she added.
The association stated that the authorities would be solely responsible for inconvenience caused by the strike.
"The authorities are to be held solely responsible for this unprecedented strike, as they are neither bothered about their doctors -so called 'Corona warriors', nor are they concerned about the patients and general public who are suffering for no fault of theirs," they said.
The decision was taken in a general body meeting of MCDA held on Saturday with the resident doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital. The association said that the indifference attitude by authorities and ministries have forced them to take the step of calling for the strike.
"Despite fervent appeals to our Hon'ble Prime Minister, Hon'ble Union Home Minister, Hon'ble Union Health Minister and Hon'ble Mayor /North MCD for payment of our salaries and to help find some permanent solution, not only have our salaries not been paid but the manner in which our resident doctors have been forced to resort to such desperate measures like hunger strike, is extremely disturbing and distressing for all senior doctors. The indifference of the administration has left them to die but we cannot do the same," the association stated.
The doctors had earlier called for the similar strike on October 14, but deferred it after Mayor North MCD Jai Prakash assured them of immediate resolution of the salary issues. However, as the corporation failed to keep its words, the doctors reconsidered their call to strike.
"We have already given sufficient time to concerned authorities to resolve the issue and pay our salaries but they have not done anything to solve the problem instead they appear to be unconcerned with the plight of doctors. As our salaries have not been paid even after the one week of deferring the strike, this association has been forced to reconsider its earlier decision," the association said.
( With inputs from IANS )
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