Himachal Hospital Brawl: New Committee To Revisit IGMC Case
Himachal Hospital Brawl: New Committee To Revisit IGMC Case
Himachal CM Sukhu orders a fresh panel to re-examine the IGMC altercation between a patient and a doctor, while resident doctors end their two-day strike.
In Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday directed health officials to form a new committee to relook at the altercation between a patient and a doctor at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC).
This comes a day after resident doctors at IGMC called off their two-day strike, following assurance that the brawl would be looked into again and Narula’s termination would be reviewed.
During a meeting of the health department, Sukhu asked officials to re-examine the incident involving doctor Raghav Narula and patient Arjun Singh. He said the government will ensure adequate security for doctors and other staff, but made clear that inappropriate behaviour toward patients will not be tolerated.
The chief minister also announced steps to improve professionalism, including mandatory human-behaviour and man-management courses for doctors to uphold ethical standards. He hinted at the possibility of adding numerical indicators in doctors’ annual confidential reports (ACRs) to reflect patient-friendly conduct, and instructed that any misbehavior by patients or attendants should be reported to senior officials.
To address workforce gaps, the government is filling vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff so they can discharge duties without hassles. Officials are also weighing incentives to attract highly qualified doctors to the public medical sector, Sukhu said.
The residents’ strike was suspended after assurances of a fresh inquiry, with the IGMC Residents Association planning a meeting on January 3 to decide their next steps. The incident itself — captured on camera — showed Narula pushing Singh, who reportedly attempted to kick the doctor, prompting calls for accountability and reform.
