On Wednesday, there appeared to be a tussle between a journalist and a civil servant on Twitter over the resignation of doctors and nurses of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
In the now deleted tweet, journalist Vidhya Krishnan tweeted, "BREAKING: Doctors & nurses of NDMC have resigned. Delhi govt refuses to accept their resignation. One resident doc asked me: Why should we risk our lives for a negligent government? @thecaravanindia."
Twitter/@TrulyMonica
However, Varsha Joshi, Commissioner North Delhi Municipal Corporation, called Vidhya Krishnan's BREAKING as false. "VIDYA FOR GODS SAKE IS REPORTING NOW A TWITTER ACTIVITY WHAT STOPPED YOU FROM EVEN ASKING ME," she tweeted.
After deleting her previous tweet, Vidhya Krishnan again put up the same document, saying that it is 100 per cent legit. "80% of the staff at Hindu Rao Hosp are contractual employees, they don't believe assurances from the Medical Supdt. thta the hosp jas enough PPEs," she tweeted.
Replying to Krishnan, Joshi requested her to take views from both the sides before tweeting sensational news items.
In a Twitter thread, Varsha Joshi wrote, "(1) This order was issued against directions of DHA and without the knowledge of Additional Commissioner abd Commissioner. Disciplinary action will be taken for this disobedience.
(2) From my side, ANY unwilling worker is MORE than welcome to resign. Especially in a pandemic.
(3) Only a couple of contract doctors have expressed a desire to leave. Their applications will be processed tomorrow itself. Plainly, their contract WILL NOT BE RENEWED IN FUTURE.
(4) The only remotely covid related activity presently going on in HRH is screening, for which more than enough PPE kits are available. More PPE kits are being procured directly from the manufacturers. We will evidently never undertake any activity which risks our staff.
5) The gentleman who originally tweeted the order, Dr Sanjeev Chaudhary, is no longer with HRH and has no locus standi in this matter except a desire to create unrest. Action will be initiated against him under appropriate provisions of law in view of Epidemic Diseases Act.
(6) HRH has a long history of political gameplaying which came to almost a standstill over the past one year. Plainly there are forces interested in starting off again. I will not tolerate this. HRH doctors always and will continue to proudly serve the city and the nation.
I would request Vidya ji to take views from both sides before tweeting sensational news items at a time when the entire world is fighting a difficult war. Everyone needs to be on the same side here. Or we all lose. Thank you and Good Night."
