The AIIMS administration has accepted the proposal by its Resident Doctors' Association to make donation to the PM-CARES fund voluntary, saying there will be no mandatory salary deduction for the contribution and those interested can "Opt-In".
The AIIMS RDA had written to the hospital administration earlier, demanding that donations to PM-Citizen Assistance Relief in Emergency Situations (CARES) fund be made a voluntary exercise/opt-in. The money collected they said should be used locally for procuring protective gear for them after the administration appealed to all resident doctors to contribute their one-day salary to the PM-CARES fund to aid the government's effort to fight COVID-19.
"In continuation of the appeal dated April 7 and the Resident Doctors Association request letter dated April 8 wherein the RDA has declined to donate one day salary to the Prime Minister's citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) fund with an opt-out option.
"The Resident Doctors Association is hereby informed that no deduction will be made from salaries of resident doctors. Those residents who wish to donate to the PM-CARES fund should inform the Academic Section, in writing, by 20 April," the letter signed by the Registrar said on Wednesday, 15 April.
The letter further added that there is no shortage of funds at the institute for procurement of PPEs and therefore no donation shall be accepted from resident doctors for local use at AIIMS New Delhi.
The administration had earlier rejected the proposal, saying there is no mechanism in place for an opt-in donation and all such voluntary donations are to be made directly to the charity of choice.
The letter also stated that there is no provision to collect donations from residents for internal use for provision of PPEs and other facilities to equip healthcare workers.
The AIIMS RDA had twice written to the administration for reconsidering the decision and make the donation opt-in or reject it altogether stating majority of residents have donated on a personal level and want to exercise choice of further donation.
"The RDA AIIMS reiterates that as majority of residents have donated on a personal level and want to exercise choice of further donation. We again request the administration to reconsider the decision and make the donation opt-in or reject it altogether.
The AIIMS RDA had on 4 April said the notice for donation without consulting them violates an individual's right to support the country in the way they prefer.
In its notice, the administration had said that any resident having objection to it (donation) may write through email, WhatsApp or SMS to their account officers latest by April 6.
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