Four Contractual Doctors at Delhi’s Hindu Rao Hospital Resign Citing Lack of Protective Gear

An office order by the administration said that the “resignations of the doctors or nurses will not be accepted”, but the North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner clarified this is not the case.

New Delhi: Four contracted doctors at the NDMC governed Hindu Rao hospital allegedly tendered their resignations after their demand for personal protective equipment was not met.

According to a report in the Times of India, the hospital administration has clarified on Wednesday that no resignation would be accepted and necessary action would be taken against the doctors and nurses.

An office order by the Hindu Rao hospital administration said, “In view of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, resignations of the doctors or nurses will not be accepted and their names will be sent to Delhi Medical Council office and Nursing Council of India for disciplinary action”. The order further stated that it had been issued with prior approval from the medical superintendent.

However, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation commissioner Varsha Joshi said that the order was issued without consulting the additional commissioner and the commissioner and that disciplinary action would be taken for “this disobedience”.

Also read: Rainwear, Cloth Masks: Across India, Doctors, Nurses Grow Restive in Absence of Basic Protective Gear

“Any unwilling staff is more than welcome to resign, especially in pandemic. Only a couple of doctors have expressed desire to leave and their application will be processed on Thursday and contract will not be renewed in future,” she tweeted, in response to a picture of the order.

“More PPE kits are being procured directly from the manufacturers. We will evidently never undertake any activity which risks our staff,” she added.

Joshi also shared pictures of a few doctors working at the hospital wearing PPE.

North corporation standing committee chairman, Jai Prakash said that the doctors had joined the hospital on contract last year and had submitted their resignation on Wednesday. “However, no resignation from any nurse was received officially,” he said.