Shimla, December 26:
The doctor-patient scuffle at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, has snowballed into a full-blown confrontation, putting the Sukhu government under intense pressure, with resident doctors announcing an indefinite strike from Friday morning.
On Thursday, a joint delegation of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) IGMC Shimla, HMOA Himachal Pradesh, and SAMDCOT Shimla met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, escalating concerns over the termination of Dr Raghav Narula, a senior resident, and what they termed a complete breakdown of security and rule of law on the IGMC campus.
According to the RDA, the Chief Minister gave a patient hearing and assured the delegation that all evidence submitted during the meeting would be examined objectively before taking a final call.
The delegation also flagged serious lapses in hospital security, particularly the unchecked entry of mobs, alleged intimidation of doctors, and a media trial that followed the incident.
“This was not just a scuffle, it was an attack on the dignity, safety and professional environment of doctors.
The campus was overrun, doctors were threatened, and government property was vandalised,” said Dr Adarsh Sharma, General Secretary, RDA IGMC Shimla.
The RDA has reiterated its five-point charter of demands, with the immediate revocation of Dr Narula’s termination order at the top.
Doctors have also demanded registration of FIRs under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 351, 351(3), 352, 61, 62, 190 and 191, citing criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly, obstruction of public servants, and threats to life.
“Our colleague was allegedly threatened with dire consequences and even forced to leave the country. This cannot be brushed aside as a minor incident,” said Dr Sohil Sharma, President, RDA IGMC Shimla, warning that selective action against doctors would further demoralise the medical fraternity.
The associations have also sought strict legal action for vandalism of government property inside the IGMC premises and demanded accountability for the failure to implement adequate CCTV coverage and security measures, despite a prior gap analysis that had flagged vulnerabilities on the campus.
All resident doctors of IGMC Shimla have decided to go on an indefinite strike from 9:30 am on December 27.
During the strike, new admissions, elective surgeries and OPD services will remain suspended, though emergency services will continue, the RDA clarified.
The unfolding crisis has triggered serious questions over hospital security. It paints a pathetic picture of administrative decision-making, and the government’s handling of doctor and patient safety as government has failed to put order in the chaotic hospital wards and emergencies .
The IGMC episode is fast emerging as a flashpoint between the medical fraternity and the state. CM must not lose time and adress the issue in its totality.
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#IGMCShimla #DoctorSafety #RDAProtest #HealthcareCrisis #HimachalPradesh #DoctorsOnStrike #SukhuGovernment #HospitalSecurity
