IGMC Shimla doctors launch mass-leave protest over senior resident's dismissal
What's the story
The services at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, were severely affected on Friday as its resident doctors went on mass casual leave. This was in protest of the suspension of Senior Resident Dr. Raghav Narula, who was terminated for allegedly assaulting a patient at IGMC earlier this week. According to reports, nearly 2,800 doctors, including junior and senior residents, took part in the one-day casual leave protest across Himachal Pradesh.
Details
Dr. Narula's termination follows patient assault
A faculty member at IGMC stated that medical services were badly affected across the state due to the protest on Friday, as many doctors were already on leave for winter vacations. Dr. Narula was dismissed after an alleged incident with a 36-year-old patient, named Arjun Singh, in the pulmonary ward of IGMC on Monday. The state government subsequently ordered a departmental inquiry, which was concluded within a day, leading to his termination on Wednesday.
Assault claims
Patient alleges assault, hospital reports incident
Singh claimed that Dr. Narula became aggressive and assaulted him after a dispute over how he was addressed. The Shimla Police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 125(a), 115(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Shortly after the incident, the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Medical Education and Research also confirmed Dr. Narula's termination in an official order.
Protest demands
Resident Doctors Association demands revocation of dismissal
Announcing their mass-leave protest, IGMC Resident Doctors Association (RDA) President Dr. Sohil Sharma stated that they would first discuss the issue with the government. He also warned that they would launch a strike if their demands weren't met by Saturday morning. Their demands include immediate revocation of Dr. Narula's dismissal, registration of an FIR against one Naresh Dasta for threatening the doctor, and legal action against those who damaged government property during the incident.
SupportÂ
National bodies support RDA's demands, threaten further action
Moreover, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Associations (FORDA) extended support to Dr. Narula, calling for fair and transparent investigations into complaints of misconduct while upholding professional integrity and patient dignity. The Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) also announced a one-day mass casual leave on Friday in solidarity with the IGMC RDA's demands. The HMOA further warned that if the RDA's requests weren't addressed by Saturday, patients would only have access to emergency treatment services.