SHIMLA: Medical services, except for emergencies, were badly hit across several government hospitals in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday after resident doctors went on an indefinite strike to protest the termination of a doctor involved in a scuffle with a patient. Patients and their attendants, particularly those who had travelled from remote areas, faced considerable hardship due to the absence of doctors, according to news agency PTI. Krishan Singh Thakur, who came to Shimla from Ani — around 125 km away — for his father’s treatment, said they had been waiting since Thursday. “There are no doctors available because of the strike, and we are facing a lot of inconvenience,” he said.
Thakur added that the situation had worsened due to harsh winter conditions and the lack of accommodation amid the New Year tourist rush. He urged both the government and doctors to resolve the issue at the earliest in the interest of patients. Another attendant, Dasvi Ram, said his wife was admitted to hospital and her MRI, scheduled for Saturday, had not been conducted. “We are waiting for doctors to resume duty,” he told PTI Videos.
Resident doctors at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and other government hospitals had gone on mass casual leave on Friday. The Resident Doctors’ Association later announced an indefinite strike from Saturday, stating that outpatient departments, routine services and elective surgeries would remain suspended, while emergency services would continue. The protest follows the termination of Dr Raghav Narula on Wednesday.
Narula was accused of physically assaulting a patient, Arjun Singh, inside the pulmonary ward of IGMC earlier this week. A video of the incident, which surfaced on social media, shows Narula punching the patient, while Singh is seen attempting to kick the doctor. Singh, who had undergone a bronchoscopy and complained of breathlessness afterwards, alleged that the argument began when he objected to the doctor addressing him as “tu” instead of “tum”. Narula, however, claimed that Singh had initiated the confrontation by abusing him and his family. An inquiry committee later found both parties at fault, citing “misconduct, misbehaviour and acts unbecoming of a public servant” on the doctor’s part, officials said. Several medical bodies, including the Himachal Medical Officers’ Association, Shimla Association of Medical and Dental College Teachers, Shimla Private Practitioners’ Association and the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Associations, have backed Narula. They have demanded his reinstatement, a transparent and time-bound inquiry, and strict action against those responsible for creating chaos inside the hospital. Members of the Resident Doctors’ Association met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday. Sukhu assured action against those who allegedly threatened the doctor and said new guidelines would be introduced to ensure the safety of medical staff. Despite the assurance, the doctors went ahead with the strike, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the termination order.