Doctors’ strike affects hospitals across Himachal

Medical services, barring emergency services, were affected across several hospitals in Himachal Pradesh as resident doctors went on an indefinite strike on Saturday against the termination of services of a doctor who entered into a brawl with a patient.

The doctors maintained that the termination of the medic within 48 hours was unjustified and that there was resentment brewing among the medical fraternity.

Meanwhile, patients and attendants, especially those coming from remote locations, faced difficulties due to the unavailability of doctors.

“I came here on Thursday from Ani, which is about 125 kilometres from Shimla, for my father’s treatment. But no doctors are available due to the strike and we are facing inconvenience,” said Krishan Singh Thakur, who accompanied a patient.

The peak winter cold and unavailability of accommodation due to heavy tourist rush around the New Year are adding to their trouble, Thakur said, urging the Government and the doctors to resolve the matter at the earliest in the interest of patients.

“My wife is admitted to the hospital. Her MRI was scheduled for today, but it has not been conducted yet as the strike has begun. We are waiting for the doctors to resume duty,” Dasvi Ram, attendant of another patient, told PTI Videos on Saturday morning.

Reports of health services being affected due to the strike have poured in from Shimla, Dharamshala, Nahan, Hamirpur, Una and several other districts.

Resident doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and several other Government hospitals across the state had gone on casual leave en masse on Friday.

Announcing an indefinite strike from Saturday, the Resident Doctors’ Association maintained that during the strike, routine services, elective operation theatres and Out Patient Departments (OPD) would remain closed and only emergency services would remain functional.

“The emergency services are functioning. Consultants -- including assistant professors, associate professors and professors -- are rendering services to indoor patients and OPD. However, there were some issues with regard to planned surgeries,” Dr Praveen Bhatia, Deputy Medical Superintendent, IGMC, said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has issued Standard Operating Procedures to provide uninterrupted health services, which include assigning OPD duties to consultants, ensuring residents on emergency duties are available round-the-clock and prioritising indoor patients.

Talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, IGMC Resident Doctors’ Association president Sohail Sharma said the chief minister has promised to conduct an enquiry into the matter but the termination has sent a negative message to the medical fraternity, which is feeling humiliated and unsafe.

“It takes a lot of effort and exams to become a doctor, who is also a human. We accept that there was misconduct, for which the doctor was suspended in six hours. But the termination in 48 hours based on the disciplinary committee report is not justified. Our only demand is revocation of the termination orders,” he added.

“A doctor knows the condition of patients. If someone demands that the doctor see him first or get terminated, how will a doctor work?” he asked.

The Himachal Pradesh Government on Wednesday terminated the services of Dr Raghav Narula for allegedly entering into a physical fight with a patient.

The incident came to light after a video surfaced in which Narula was seen punching the patient, Arjun Singh, in the face inside the pulmonary ward of IGMC on Monday, while Singh attempted to kick the doctor.

Singh, who had gone to the hospital for a bronchoscopy and complained of breathlessness following the procedure, alleged that the dispute started over the doctor’s choice of words. He claimed that he objected to the doctor addressing him as “tu” instead of “tum”, which he said made Narula aggressive.

However, Narula maintained that it was Singh who instigated the fight by using abusive language against him and his family. The report of an inquiry committee found both parties at fault. They found “misconduct, misbehaviour and acts unbecoming of a public servant” on Narula’s part, officials said.

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 come in support of the doctor.

They have demanded his reinstatement; a transparent, time-bound and impartial inquiry into the incident, and strict and prompt action against the anti-social elements who created chaos within the hospital premises, to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Members of the Resident Doctors’ Association had met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday.

The chief minister assured action against the mob, which allegedly threatened the doctor inside the hospital and affected medical services. He also promised to bring new guidelines and directions to ensure the security of doctors inside hospitals.

However, the doctors proceeded to go on strike, demanding the revocation of the termination order of the doctor.