Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain slams MCD over non-payment of doctors' salaries

Delhi's Health and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday slammed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) alleging that the corporation has funds to erect hoarding but do not have money to pay to resident doctors who are protesting against non-payment of salaries during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Salaries are paid by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Instead of paying doctors' salaries, don't know where MCD is spending its funds. They have money for hoardings but not for salaries," Health Minister said while briefing the health bulletin.

Satyendar Jain's jibe at MCD comes in the backdrop of the indefinite hunger strike by Resident Doctors' Associations of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Medical College and Hindu Rao hospital, who have been protesting for the past few weeks against the non-payment of salaries.

The health minister had earlier stated that he had written to the MCD run by Centre to handover hospitals to Delhi government in order to avoid further inconveniences to the medical staff.

If DMCs are unable to pay salaries and facing difficulties in running their hospitals they may consider handing over their hospitals to Delhi government to avoid any further anguish to doctors, para-medical and other staff and inconvenience to patients /relatives/ citizens of Delhi during ongoing COVID pandemic, the letter read.

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'Delhi's fatality rate at 1.77%'

Jain also spoke about the drop in fatality rate in the national capital in the last 10 days and upended that two-third of the hospital beds are now vacant in Delhi. Citing Dr Paul's expert committee, he also warned of a possible surge in the COVID-19 infections in winter, however, also assured that now the cases are around 4000 which can be termed as a controlled situation, as per Jain. 

"In the last 10 days, the death toll has been 0.94% while the overall fatality ratio stands at 1.77%. One-third of covid beds are currently occupied and two-third is empty," the minister said.

"Dr Paul expert committee had said that due to cold & festive season, cases (per day) can spike up to 12,000-14,000 but right now it's around 4000 so the situation is contained. We are focused on containment, contact tracing & isolation to tackle the situation. Hence no relaxation in restrictions unless the vaccine arrives. Masks and social distancing absolutely mandatory. We will continue taking strict precautions," Jain added further.

"All the school shall remain closed for the time being. We had a discussion regarding the same with the Chief Minister yesterday," he concluded.

(With ANI inputs)

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