Rohit Shishodia
Senior and junior resident doctors working in Delhi government-run hospitals will strike work on December 19, 2018, over non-payment of salaries as per 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations. Routine services including OPD, ward duties and elective surgeries will remain completely shut on the day, while emergency services will be functional.

Services in hospitals in Delhi including Guru Tegh Bahadur, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash, Sanjay Gandhi and Hindu Rao are likely to be worst affected.

The doctors lamented that they are frustrated over repeated assurances from the officials of Delhi government that they would soon get their payments as per 7th CPC. They said that these assurances have not been implemented on the ground due to which they are forced to go on strike.

The doctors said that they have informed the Delhi government about the strike a month ago and if the government does not pay heed to their demand for paying salary as per 7th CPC, they may also strike in emergency services.

Dr Anand Chopra, RDA President, UCMS, which is attached to the GTB hospital, told DTMT: “We have been given assurance of 7th CPC for the last three years. We still get salary as per 6th CPC, that too not in time. Sometimes we do not get salary for three months.”

Dr Chopra asked, “In UCMC, faculty members, consultants and administrative staff get salary as per 7th CPC but it is we who do not salary on time and as per new CPC. Have resident doctors committed any sin that they are being deprived of salary benefits?”

Dr Sumedh Sandhanshiv, President, FORDA, said that all the doctors will strike work on December 19, 2018. “We have a meeting in the evening with Health Minister Satyendra Jain and the Principal Health Secretary to discuss the matter. As of now we will be on strike,” said Dr Sandhanshiv.