Doon medical college hospital faces threat of mass resignations for non-payment of salaries

Uttarakhand: Doon medical college hospital is now facing a threat of mass resignations by its doctors and employees over the issue of non-payment of salaries. The threat is looming large on the hospital administration as the mass resignation is likely to happen on August 9; only if the matter is not settled by then. Reportedly, the doctors and employees allege that they have not been paid their salary for the last four months.

The date selected for mass resignation-August 9, is also the inauguration day of Doon medical college hospital. the move is indeed a deliberate attempt by the doctors and employees, as the CM is expected to be present on the inauguration and the mass resignations is also likely to be staged on the same day.

Doctors have threatened to wear black ribbons on the very auspicious day of the inauguration. This decision was taken at a meeting recently held at Doon hospital, which included expert doctors opinion on the matter of resigning together.

It is further alleged that junior and senior resident doctors have still not been paid by the medical education department. This also included the workers at the college premise.

The newly appointed minister Dinesh Dhanai, also the in-charge of the medical education department has given his assurance that the salary dues will be cleared in a week's time.

While speaking with media, Dhanai, said, "After strengthening the base of medical services at Dehradun our focus would be on creating a nursing college in Tehri followed by uplifting the state of affairs of Almora medical college and hospital. We will focus on quality medical education."

In the interim of all this, the hospital is also dealing with another issue of water scarcity at its premise.

Speaking more on Dr. KK Tamta, medical superintendent, said, "Alternative arrangements have been done, the existing machine was tampered which has now been given for repairing and a new set up for water has been created. Operations are being conducted but with little problems. The hospital require 1.25 lakh litres per day however we are getting barely 60,000 litres which is not sufficient."

The minister has implied that all the issues must be sorted on immediate priority so that there is no disruption in functioning of the hospital. He assured that the hospital administration will be given budget to sort the matter at the earliest.

Only recently, a strike was partially called off by the Doon medical college hospital contractual workers. The workers reported back to work at the behest of the hospital administration. They were on strike since June 27 demanding regularization of their jobs. Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) is the attached hospital to GMC Doon.

MD team earlier reported that their protest is in lieu of transferring their services from UPNL to the medical education department. The demand has been made to the State government by the 173 contractual workers here. They were earlier employed in the Hospital Management Committee (HMC) of Doon hospital and Doon women hospital. Only after the merging with Doon medical college they were transferred to UPNL.