The technical staff at Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital has said that their salaries have not been paid for the past seven months. The 47 technical staff members manage operation theatres (OT), ventilators in Covid ICU wards, and patients administered anaesthesia before surgery. They claim that the hospital administration has not paid them since January this year.
They were deployed to look after ICU-admitted patients and also the patients admitted at the Covid-19 centre set-up in Ramlila Maidan. According to one of the OT technicians, the Delhi government hired them when they needed them most during the pandemic. However, the Delhi government does not acknowledge their services.
“The Delhi government simply does not acknowledge our services while we continue to work tirelessly every day,” an OT Technician said.
The OT technician said that they worked during the most difficult times of Covid-19 and went on duty to look after ICU-admitted patients as well as those in Ramlila Maidan. “Most of us are now posted at Lok Nayak OT, but we have been working without pay for the past seven months.”
He added that despite the fact that the court ordered a stay in January, the technical staff did not receive their salaries yet. However, the administration has said that the interim salaries have been approved and the same is under process.
Speaking to Indian Express, Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Hospital, said that soon after the Covid-19 pandemic was over the contracts of the 47 OT technicians were put on hold by the competent authority, after which they filed several lawsuits in court.
“We have now approved the interim salary, and it is being processed,” Dr Kumar said.