Delhi: Resident doctors of NDMC's Kasturba Hospital threaten mass resignation over non-payment of salaries

The Resident Doctors of New Delhi Municipal Council's (NDMC) Kasturba Hospital have threatened to tender mass resignation over non-payment of their salaries since March.

Dr Sunil Kumar, president of Resident Doctors' Association of Kasturba Hospital alleged that the resident doctors have not received their salaries for the last three months and as it is not the right time to go on strike, the doctors have decided to tender mass resignations.

"All resident doctors of the hospital have not received their salaries for the last three months (March, April and May). As this is not the right time to go on a strike, we have decided to tender mass resignations. We have not stopped giving our services. If the hospital is not able to give us salaries, then we would like to give our services in other hospitals," Kumar said in a video message."

It may be noted that many of the hospital's doctors and staff have tested positive for COVID-19.

"People are hailing us as 'corona warriors', clapping for us. It is a good thing that people respect us. But I want to ask is this way to respect us? We want our salaries. I want people should know that about that in Delhi doctors are not getting salaries," he added.

Meanwhile, members of Resident Doctors' Association of Kasturba Hospital, including Kumar, have written a letter to Additional MS of the hospital stating that if the doctors are not paid by June 16, they will tender mass resignation.

"All the resident are working in this pandemic situation, continuously putting theirs and their families' lives in danger. Over that, we are not being paid salaries, making us unable to pay our house rent, huge travel expenses and to buy essential commodities," the letter reads.

"We can not work without money. Being the frontline workers, we should be paid our pending salaries as soon as possible and should be ensured a regular salary payout. We are afraid that if we aren't paid by 16 June, we will have to move for mass resignation," the letter further reads.

Association in the letter further wrote that "We hope concerned authorities will take immediate action and take our notice on priority to resolve our issue within time."

Recently, resident doctors of another NDMC-run Hindu Rao hospital had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over non-payment of their salaries.