Doon hospital staff await July salary

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 11

Over 350 regular employees working at the Government Doon Medical College and Hospital await salaries for July.

The situation arose after Director General (DG), Health, Dr Kusum Nariyal, went on a long leave in July. Usually, the senior-most doctor (second in line) is asked to officiate when the DG goes on leave. However, both Dr SC Pant (Director) and Dr Abha Mamgain were reluctant to take the responsibility, resulting in the crisis. The budget for the salaries of the employees of the medical college is released by the DG Health and Medical.

KK Tamta, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the Doon Medical College Hospital, said, “No budget has been released for salaries. There are around 350 employees, including 90 staff nurses, four sweepers and 45 doctors in the hospital and 139 employees in the women’s hospital. They are yet to get July salary. They have threatened to gherao me if the salary is not released.”

Meanwhile, Dr Bhupinder Aulakh, Secretary, Health and Medical, today once again released orders directing Dr SC Pant to officiate as the DG, Health and Medical services, until Dr Nariyal is on leave.

Dr Pant, who was reluctant to take the charge earlier, is believed to have agreed to handle the responsibility. This turnaround came after the Provincial Medical and Health Service Association office-bearers prevailed upon Dr Pant to take the charge.

It is learnt that due to the non-cooperative attitude of senior doctors, the government is contemplating giving the charge of DG to an IAS officer, which the Provincial Medical and Health Services has opposed in the past.