Days before Diwali, 8,000 Delhi docs await salaries

Diwali may be around the corner but resident doctors across Delhi government hospitals have little to celebrate. FORDA — Federation of Resident Doctors Association — an organisation that works for the welfare of resident doctors all over India, says that despite an order from Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain that salaries must be dispatched by the 7th of every month, their money has once again got delayed

Members of FORDA say that they intend to write to the Minister highlighting their plight and not surprisingly have termed this Diwali a "black Diwali."

"It is the 13th today and we are still awaiting our salaries. Now there is weekend and Monday will be too close to Diwali, so we have practically no time to do any shopping," says Dr Pankaj Solanki, a former president of FORDA.

"It has always been this inconsistent. Our salaries come any time of the month from 10th to 20th, which is very demotivating," he adds.

In a meeting in 2015 with FORDA members, the Health Secretary in the presence of the Delhi Health Minister, gave this, among other things, in writing that the "salary of the resident doctors shall be disbursed by the seventh day of the successive month positively."But doctors allege that despite the order, salary disbursement has remained unpredictable.

According to FORDA, out of over 10,000 resident doctors in the city's hospitals, only 2,000 of them in Lok Nayak Hospital have got salaries, while the rest are still waiting for them. In June, FORDA members said that they had written to the Minister, which led to timely salary disbursement for two months, but from August onwards doctors say that they are facing the same issues.

With no other source of income, no salary means no money to celebrate Diwali. And as a result, most of Delhi's doctors have little to cheer about this Diwali.