No Salaries, No Drinking water: Delhi's Hindu Rao, Rajan Babu doctors call off strike after Govt's assurance

Delhi: Protesting doctors of two state-run Hindu Rao Hospital and Rajan Babu hospital have temporarily called off their strike after the authorities released salaries till December and assured them to consider their other demands.

The doctors went on a pen-down strike on February 6 over unpaid dues and other longstanding issues, including the unavailability of safe drinking water and clean toilets with working flush. The other demands of the doctor included the end of 44 days of exploitative work culture and recruitment of permanent position, accessibility of clear and hygienic drinking water, hygienic and proper sanitation for staff and patients, installation of lockers in Doctors' changing room and so on. 

The Resident Doctors' Associations (RDA) at both hospitals submitted letters to each institution's medical superintendent and medical director explaining that they were having trouble paying their mortgages, monthly loan payments, and rent since their pending salaries were not paid. Moreover, the doctors also demanded that exploitative clauses which serve the sole purpose of victimizing doctors should be removed from joining the affidavit.

Explaining the situation, Dr Siddharth Tara of Hindu Rao Hospital told Medical Dialogues, "Our salaries were pending since October. The condition of sanitation and availability of drinking water is also deplorable. It was impossible for us to continue working in such adverse conditions while facing a financial crunch. Many of us were struggling to make ends meet. Hence, we went on a pen-down strike and boycotted OPD work yesterday. However, within hours authorities requested to have a conversation with us."

"They finally released our salaries up to December. We have called off the strike for now and we have given the authorities 10 more days to release the salary for January month. We have also asked the authorities to release our pending arrears at the earliest. Authorities have also agreed to recruit cleanliness officers to ensure the hygiene of the hospital," he added. 

In the letter submitted to the medical superintendent, RDA stated, “Like any other human, we also feel humiliation when asking our retired parents and friends for money, despite already working in a reputed teaching hospital which is supposed to pay for the hard work we do here, day in and day out. Many of us are sole income earners in our families with many dependents."

Delayed payment of salaries is creating confusion regarding their job security while the 44-day contract system is adding to their perils. “We live in constant fear of losing our job every 45th day. Contract/ad hoc culture is intentionally designed to deprive workers of benefits and perks that come with regular/permanent employment,” the letter added.

The letter written by doctors at Hindu Rao Hospital and Rajan Babu Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis also complained about the lack of potable water at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)-run hospitals.

“Lack of access to hygienic drinking water in the workplace adversely affects the working condition. Rat, mosquito, ticks and mould-infested DDRs also contribute to this problem. The hygiene problem is not limited to the above but also to the toilets in the wards and DDRs. Both patients and doctors, who spend long hours in the hospital, suffer from this problem. The stray dog menace haunting the hospital and its premises for decades also needs to have a special mention,” the letter read. DDR refers to Duty Doctors’ Room where resident doctors stay and sleep during long shifts.

Standing in solidarity with the protesting doctors, FORDA also posted, " No salaries, filthy toilets, unhygienic & rat infested duty rooms, no access to drinking water- No it’s not a jail, it’s Hindu Rao Hospital. Exploitative 44 day contracts with unjust working conditions- that’s how MCD treats its doctors!" 

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