Doctors Who Were On Strike To Receive No Pay

The Health Department of the Delhi government has claimed that it has released the full salaries of medical doctors who were on strike, over the proposed quota for OBCs in educational institutions last month against claims by the senior resident doctors in medical institutions run by the center that they are awaiting their salaries.

Binod Patro, senior resident from AIIMS claims that they have not got their salary as yet. While the hospital administration has stated that they are waiting for orders from the Ministry, the residents are planning to meet the Additional Solicitor General on Monday regarding this issue.

Meanwhile on Wednesday the health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, had taken a tough stand on the striking doctors and has announced that those of whom had participated in last month's protests against the quota policy would not get any salary for the strike period of 17 days. The Ministry had also earlier circulated orders to various medical colleges to deduct the salaries of striking doctors for the days they did not work.

The hospital authorities have explained that while they were waiting for directions from the Ministry, they have released the pay for the last month and that the deductions for the period the doctors did not work could be done next month, if the Ministry orders so. D.S. Negi, Principal Secretary, Health, Delhi government said; ‘As of now, we have no directions from the Union Ministry. If they direct now, we will make the deductions in the next month’s salary. For now, we have released the salaries.’

The doctors have called the action unfair saying the SC had assured that no action would be taken against them. Ramadoss said that the apex court had said that the doctors should not be punished, and that not giving the salaries was not a punishment. Stating that it’s not a punitive action, Dr Ramadoss said that the government is simply maintaining that no work means no pay.