The Himachal Medical Officers' Association has declared a mass leave for its members on December 26, escalating a confrontation with the state administration. This decisive action is a direct response to the suspension of a resident doctor at Shimla's Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) following an alleged assault on a patient.
Core Demands of the Agitating Doctors
The association has presented a clear set of demands to the authorities. Their primary request is the immediate revocation of the suspension handed to the resident doctor involved in the controversial incident. Beyond this, they are pressing for legal action to be taken against those deemed responsible for the entire episode. A critical, long-standing issue also forms a part of their protest: the urgent need for strengthened security measures within hospital premises to safeguard healthcare workers.
The body has issued a stern warning, indicating that if their concerns are not addressed promptly, the current mass leave could escalate into a full-fledged collective strike by the medical fraternity in the state.
The Incident That Sparked the Crisis
The controversy traces back to an event earlier this week within the wards of IGMC, Shimla. A resident doctor was accused of physically assaulting a patient, identified as 36-year-old Arjun Panwar. The incident came to light after a video circulated widely on social media platforms.
The footage reportedly showed a masked doctor repeatedly striking the patient who was lying on a hospital bed. Another doctor was seen in the video attempting to restrain the patient's legs. According to reports, the altercation began when the patient objected to the manner in which he was addressed and asked the doctor to speak to him respectfully.
Official Actions and Investigations
Following the uproar, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Dr. Raghav Narula (31), a senior resident in the pulmonary medicine department at IGMC. The hospital administration swiftly placed the doctor under suspension.
Acting on the directions of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the IGMC administration constituted a three-member committee to conduct a thorough internal inquiry into the matter. Dr. Rahul Rao, the Medical Superintendent of IGMC, stated that any further disciplinary action would be based on the findings of this internal panel. Simultaneously, a separate police investigation is underway to determine the legal culpability in the case.
The impending mass leave on December 26 threatens to disrupt medical services across Himachal Pradesh, highlighting the deepening rift between the state's doctors and the government over issues of disciplinary action, accountability, and workplace safety.
