SDN Hospital: Call off strike, will pay 1 month's dues by Feb 15, says EDMC

New Delhi: Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of the Swami Dayanand Hospital have now been assured by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation's (EDMC) Standing Committee Chairman Bir Singh Panwar and Commissioner Vikas Anand that they will receive salary for one month by 15 February. They also appealed to all staffers to return to work and call off their strike at the earliest possible.

Panwar visited Swami Dayanand Hospital on Friday and interacted with the doctors and paramedical staff who were on strike. Panwar assured the doctors that the EDMC is taking their valid demands seriously and their one month's salary will be given within 15

days positively. Doctors have also assured them that they plan to withdraw their strike.

In this regard, EDMC Mayor Shyam Sunder Agarwal also appealed to the doctors of Swami Dayanand Hospital to call off the strike. He said that Swami Dayanand Hospital provides medical services to the people of low-income and poor sections of East Delhi and adjoining areas. He said that the people coming to this hospital for treatment do not have the financial capacity to get treatment in private hospitals and the marginalised poor section is being affected the most by this strike. He also told all the doctors that in this hour of crisis, all of us have to work together and not fall under any delusion and discharge our duty impartially towards public service.

EDMC Commissioner also spoke about the issue and has assured that all staffers will get their pending dues for a month by 15 February. Anand appealed to the striking doctors of Swami Dayanand Hospital to call off strike and return to work at the earliest. Assuring them that if they return to work, they would be given one month's salary by February 15 positively. Apart from this, the salary for February and March will also be released on time. EDMC is working in a challenging environment due to paucity of funds and at such a time we all have to face this challenge together so that we can provide better citizen services with less resources. He added that any problem can be solved better through dialogue and he is always there for dialogue.

Staffers at Swami Dayanand Hospital stated they will decide to continue or forgo the strike depending on the confirmation from EDMC regarding their salaries for one month. EDMC officials are set to meet the doctors and other staff on 5 February for a general body meeting to negotiate.

EDMC officials have added that they are sensitive to the demands of its employees. Anand also spoke about the strict measures the civic body decided to undertake by marking doctors on strike absent. He said that 22 Junior Resident, Senior Resident and DNB doctors who have joined in the month of January and their services have not been completed for even one month, are also on strike and showing irresponsibility towards their services.

Doctors have been assured that their pending arrears will also be paid in the month of May based on the availability of funds.