Despite receiving no salary for more than two months and shortage of funds, doctors and staff at the Miri Piri Hospital, Shahabad, have decided to continue providing services.
Earlier, it was expected that the staff may give a call for a strike in the wake of pending salaries. An official of the hospital said the doctors and other staff had decided to serve patients till the availability of resources.
According to information, there were around 400 employees, including 40 doctors. Around 20 people — nursing staff, Class IV employees and technicians — have already left their jobs due to pending salaries.
The hospital has a salary bill of around Rs 1.7 crore per month and the management requires a budget of Rs 20 crore to keep the institute running smoothly for a year.
The official said the hospital had been providing services at subsidized rates and it has a monthly receipt of around Rs 1.5 crore. Of total receipts, a major share is used to pay loan, while the remaining is used to keep the operation theaters and other services functional.
Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee leader and member of the working group of the Trust managing the institute, Baldev Singh Kaimpur, said, “The doctors have taken the right decision in the interest of the patients. We all are concerned about the ongoing situation and efforts are being made to resolve the issue so that staff members get their salaries at the earliest.”
Kaimpur said, “We have asked the HSGMC chief to hold a meeting the with SGPC president on the issue. We are hopeful that the things will be back on track soon.”
Earlier this month, the consultant specialists of the Miri Piri Hospital went on a one-day mass leave to mark their resentment over the pending salaries for two months. The HSGMC president had assured the doctors of clearing the salary after the General House meeting. Since the meeting got cancelled, the issue continues to remain unresolved.
Sandeep Inder Singh Cheema, chief executive officer of Miri Piri Hospital, said “Though doctors and other staff members have decided to keep providing uninterrupted services, financial situation is not so good. All efforts are being made to keep the hospital functional. We are currently depending on the receipts to ensure smooth operations.”
Cheema said, “The matter was taken up with the HSGMC president, but the issue is yet to be resolved. The HSGMC should resolve its internal issues and earmark a separate Budget for the smooth operations of the hospital.”
