Hindu Rao Hospital nurses write to NDMC mayor over salary dues; threaten to go on strike

Trouble continues to brew at Delhi's Hindu Rao Hospital as the Nurses Welfare Association (NWA) wrote to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Mayor Jai Praksh over the non-payment of salaries. The NWA threatened to go on an 'indefinite strike from November 2' onwards over the pending salaries from August to October. This comes just days after the resident and senior doctors of the Hindu Rao Hospital called off their protest after the NDMC Mayor Jai Praksh released their salaries and dues till September. 

"We hope this strike won't have to continue for long and our issues will be resolved," read the letter from the Nurses Welfare Association.

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Doctors call off strike

Earlier, the resident and senior doctors of the Hindu Rao Hospital staged a strike over the non-payment of salaries and dues for the past three months. The Resident Doctors' Association and the  Municipal Corporation Doctors association had also gone on an indefinite striker later. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also issued a press release condemning the non-payment of dues and demanded that the concerned authorities pay the doctors of the Delhi hospital their salaries along with their dues immediately.

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IMA had termed the issue of non-payment of salary as a 'case of system failure' while adding that the situation in Delhi's Hindu Rao Hospital was not just an isolated issue. IMA said that the doctors deserve incentives and accolades for their services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Further adding that the doctors should not have to take to roads in order to receive their 'legitimate salaries'. IMA also termed the incident a result of 'rotten' governance and 'state-sponsored violence'.

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The strike was then called off on Wednesday after the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor, Jai Prakash, heard their demands and released their salaries and dues till September. "The nurses, paramedical staff, technicians, and ward boys have also been paid their one month salary," said the NDMC Mayor. He further added, "These healthcare workers are on a strike for the past few days. I met the doctors last night as well. They should end this strike as I will be sanctioning the release. Everyone should work responsibly amid COVID-19 crisis."

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(With inputs from ANI & PTI)