New Delhi:
The Commonwealth Games (CWG) will be one of the most expensive ever, but while the organisers are under the scanner for allegations of massive overspends, it seems that volunteers may actually end up shelling out money to work for free.
A team of more than 400 government doctors will be available round the clock during the Games at all the CWG venues, but the extra medical cover will come at a cost to the doctors themselves.
Doctors will have to pay for travel to the venues themselves, even if the venues are all the way across the city. In fact, most doctors have not even been told so far what time they will have to go to work, or where.
They have just been asked to fill a six page volunteer form, which tells them:
- They are volunteering at their own risk
- They can't speak to the media
But many doctors, clearly unhappy with the situation, were willing to speak to us as long as we did not reveal their identity.
"For the duty they are not providing Travel Allowance/Dearness Allowance. Even before selecting the person, they have not asked them that they are filling in their names. Once they have been selected they have to fill up the form and then have to do whatever they are asked to," said a doctor.
"What the Organising Committee never told us is that this is voluntary and there are options, if you are not able to go there, then you cannot be forced to do that," he added.
"Transport is the main problem, also no one is allowed to bring food and water from outside and no one is providing it inside," complained another doctor.
"These doctors have come in from Delhi government and there is no question of giving them any honororium or any other money, I think they have all volunteered and asked to come to do their duty," said Bharat Inder Singh, Chief Medical Officer, CWG.
Just a month ago, the Organising Committee had written to the government to waive off money that the CWG had promised Army jawans as reimbursement for travel to venues. That was finally struck down after protests, but government doctors may not have such luck. While all want to do their patriotic duty, it seems that they will have to spend from their pockets to do theirs.