Irked over non-payment of salaries, doctors and staff members of North Delhi Municipal Corporation's Hindu Rao hospital have warned the authorities that they would hold an indefinite protest if their three-months' dues are not released immediately.

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

The doctors and staff members of the hospitals have not been paid since June, for almost 109 days. The residents are currently on a 'Pen Down Strike' from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for one week to display their ordeal. The North MCD employs at least 1,000 senior doctors, 500 resident doctors, and 1,500 nursing officers. In a letter to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner, the Resident Doctors Association said, "We have continuously demanded for timely disbursement of salaries, but no action has been taken since the past 6 months. Presently, the salaries have not been paid for the past 3 months." It added, "We strongly urge you for releasing 3 months' pay and giving us an immediate permanent solution. We apologise to announce if following issues are not rectified, we would be forced to hold an indefinite protest considering strictly 'No pay, No work'."

The association rued that despite the High Court's order and repetitive issues in the past, the salaries of North MCD doctors and staff are long overdue for three months and its ongoing four months. The letter penned by the RDA president further stated that it is a basic violation of human rights, norms by the Medical Council of India, along with the contempt of court. "It has become a trend in NDMC hospitals time and again that the salaries are not regularized, and healthcare workers are deeply suffering in the pandemic times," the doctors' body said, adding that the healthcare workers are providing their valuable services while risking their lives during the greatest humanitarian crisis.

In every compensatory way the salary should be of high priority and this issue must be addressed with sincere authority and pragmatism, the RDA further said, requesting the civic body to provide a prompt and efficient solution. Besides Hindu Rao hospital, doctors and nurses of other hospitals like Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases, Kasturba Hospital, Girdhari Lal Maternity Hospital and Rajan Babu Institute of Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis have also been protesting over non-payment of dues. Meanwhile, barring emergency, the Resident Doctors Association of Delhi government's Maharishi Valmiki hospital have withdrawn all essential and non-essential services in the hospital from September 29 morning. It came after the hospital did not lodge FIR against a patient and her attendant for allegedly assaulting an on-duty doctor.